ExteNet Systems, Inc. selected BL Companies to provide professional cultural resources and environmental investigations, and compliance services on hundreds of Distributed Antennae System (DAS) project portfolios throughout the northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Midwest. Within Rhode Island, BL Companies conducted cultural resources investigations on more than 60 telecommunication node sites within the towns of Providence, Lincoln, Pawtucket, Central Falls and more than 70 node sites within the Towns of Portsmouth, North Kingston, South Kingstown, Wakefield and Wickford. Ten nodes were located in Lawrence and Lowell. In New York, we completed over 100 nodes in Yonkers, and Mt. Vernon. For a proposed DAS network in Chicago, BL Companies conducted full cultural resource and NEPA investigations on 17 nodes that fell within National Register Historic Districts; and we assessed a dozen sites in Pennsylvania.
BL Companies’ cultural and natural resources professionals are responsible for:
- Assisting ExteNet with compliance and licensing of new DAS networks throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Working closely with ExteNet project managers and compliance specialists to understand the project purpose and need, design, layout, and overall project deployment protocol.
- Performing cultural resources file reviews at the RI State Historic
- Preservation Office (RI Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission).
- Conducting historic resource and archaeological investigations for proposed nodes.
- Conducting visual effect assessments upon historic resources and historic districts.
- Completing consultation with RI SHPO and initiating Tribal Consultation with interested Native American Tribes.
- Public Involvement activities including coordinating with local governments, interested historical organizations, and submitting Public Notices.
- Conducting NEPA assessments including threatened and endangered species and wetland assessments.
