WILTON — Rather than cause more concerns for Walker Hill Road residents, Central Maine Power withdrew its permit application for a communication antenna Thursday, a spokesman said.

“We recognize that it was causing a lot of concern in that neighborhood, partly because it was installed before permits cleared, so rather than cause any further concern, we’ll just take it away,” John Carroll, spokesman for CMP, said Thursday afternoon.

The Planning Board had previously tabled a request to use a small home wind generator tower at 360 Walker Hill Road for a communication antenna for CMP smart meters. The review was back on the agenda for its 7 p.m. meeting Thursday.

Robert Gashlin of Tilson Government Service, a consulting firm from Falmouth hired by CMP for this project, called Wilton’s Code Enforcement Officer Paul Montague to cancel the permit application. The antenna was to collect and transmit information from smart meters across town.

A local permit is needed for the change of use from a small home wind generator, nonconforming tower to a commercial communication antenna.

Now CMP will consider pole-top devices and slightly rebuild the system as it has done in other communities, Carroll said. This will require devices atop more than one pole across town.

“There’s an advantage to a tower at that height . . . it’s better but not critical,” he said.

If CMP wants to put a unit atop one of its poles, it wouldn’t have to go before the Planning Board because it would be part of its distribution system as a utility, Montague said. When CMP wants to erect a new pole, they are required to seek a pole permit from the town.

Residents asked selectmen Tuesday to pursue a moratorium on smart meters. Referring to a similar ordinance started in Bath, he said it caused more confusion for customers.

CMP is not able to install smart meters there without customer consent, he said. An extra fee is charged for opting out of the smart meter installation, he said.

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