Verizon seeks new cell towers in northern Novato

Better cellphone service might be coming to commuters along Highway 101 near the Marin-Sonoma border.

Marin County planners are reviewing a proposal by Verizon to replace two cell towers with taller, 21-foot towers on a hillside east of the highway. The site is on a 465-acre property belonging to the Corda ranching family in unincorporated Novato, according to county documents.

“We really don’t call it a tower,” said Chris Durand, a contractor for Verizon. “We call it a popsicle stick or a mast.