Tower Zoning News

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Flagpole is neither artistic nor pretty, so tower is denied
July 31, 2007
LAUDERHILL, FL - Beauty is the eye of the beholder, and a South Florida community believes that a cell phone tower disguised as a flagpole is neither artistic nor pretty and city officials will not approve it.

Lauderhill has a city code that requires towers to "resemble clock towers, bell towers, church steeples, monuments and other artistic structures that create a visual identity or focal point for the area."

Lauderhill Vice Mayor Margaret Bates said she probably wouldn't back an exception. "We don't want anything ugly."
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Neighbors fear what cell phone tower excavation might stir up
July 30, 2007
BURLINGTON TOWNSHIP, NJ - Neighbors who live around a former township landfill are worried about plans to install a cellular telephone tower there.

The property at the end of 14th street was used as a landfill until 1978. Now T-Mobile intends to put up a cell tower and there are concerns that digging in the landfill could cause ground-water contamination.
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First monopine tree approved by Missouri planners
July 27, 2007
LEAWOOD, MO - The Kansas City area's first "monopine" cell tower cleared the Leawood Planning Commission this week.

Sprint is proposing to build the 95-foot tower, made to look like a pine tree, at Leawood South Country Club, 12700 Overbrook Road. The monopine would have synthetic bark, branches and needles to hide the antennas. Similar towers have been built around the country.

The City Council will consider the proposal next.

Sprint and other local cell-phone carriers have said that service in the area is inadequate, and the tower would help address a major hole in coverage.

Sprint is proposing to build the tower near the tee box for fairway No. 5 at the country club. The club's board already has worked out a lease agreement with Sprint and approved the plans.


T-Mobile asked to mix faux and familiar live palms in Arizona
July 26, 2007
PARADISE VALLEY, AZ  - The Paradise Valley Planning Commission has approved the installation of the town's first cellphone tower disguised as a palm tree, but the commission has stipulated that T-Mobile must install the very best-looking man-made tree on the market and enhance its looks by planting two real palms next to it, complete with a drip irrigation system.

The planner went a step further, stating that the carrier must provide date palms to match the monopalm. The cell tower structure will stand at 45 feet. The real palms must be lower in height so they won't interfere with the tower's signal. Fake fronds will hide the antenna array.

Unless the commission's decision is appealed, the matter will not have to go before the Town Council.


Highest structure in town may be Verizon cross
July 24, 2007
PEQUANNOCK, NJ -  Verizon Wireless and the Bible Christian Fellowship Church are considering an agreement that construct a 100-foot-tall cell phone tower, topped with a cross, amid residential homes. The proposed tower would be the tallest structure in town aside from other cell towers and would be the first in Pequannock to go up in a residential neighborhood. However, Initial reaction by township officials has been negative.

"It's right in the middle of a residential zone," Mayor Jay Vanderhoff said of the proposed site. "It's a totally inappropriate location."

Plans for the tower are still in the early stages. The church board has yet to decide whether to accept Verizon's offer, and the company will have to get approval to build in a residential zone and above the town's 35-feet height restrictions.
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PA supervisors approve cell tower ordinance
July 23, 2007
NORTH LEBANON TOWNSHIP, PA - 
North Lebanon Township supervisors have unanimously passed a cell phone tower ordinance after a public hearing attended by about 15 residents, requiring that any cell tower be at least 500 feet from houses and be no higher than 200 feet.

A tower must be surrounded by a fence and have anti-climb devices on it. The ordinance also regulates noise levels and landscaping. T-Mobile is expected to be the first company to apply under the ordinance. According to the Lebanon County planning office, T-Mobile is interested in building a 93-foot tower on commercially zoned property at 1610 N. 7th St. A cell phone tower could bring an additional $700 to $1,500 per month to the township, according to Dawn Hawkins, chairwoman of the supervisors.


Assisted care facility steps in after Target location is opposed
July 20, 2007
DEERFIELD BEACH, FL - An assisted-living facility at Deer Creek, The Forum, may become the new site for a controversial cell phone tower originally planned for the Villages of Hillsboro Park, according to city officials.

Nextel Communications says it has investigated the site and has preliminary plans to mount their cell antennae on the building without extending past the roof line. Negotiations for a financial agreement are under way between Nextel and the Forum.

The Forum was first suggested publicly in June by Gary Lother, a board member of the Deer Creek Improvement Association. That group vehemently opposed the first alternate site proposed, a SuperTarget store planned on West Hillsboro Boulevard.

Nextel sued the city in May for breaching its contract by prohibiting the company from building its cell phone tower in the first location it requested in a city park. The suit is pending.


Arkansas county board rejects one site, tables another
July 19, 2007
BENTONVILLE, AR - The Benton County Planning Board rejected a request for a cell site tower in Bella Vista and tabled action on another communications tower southeast of Prairie Creek. Bella Vista neighbors say that the proposed 195-foot monopole conflicts with 34-year-old covenants in the Rush Estates subdivision that forbids commercial use of property.

Commissioners were presented with a June 2004 letter from an attorney stating the covenants would not be an issue for placing a telecommunications tower near Wehmeyer and Dartmoor roads, and the 1996 Telecommunications Act exempts telecommunications towers from covenants and local laws.
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Home pricing goes down if tower goes up, says resident
July 18, 2007
HOOKSETT, NH - A Manchester resident said that he does not want a 180-foot cell tower in his residential neighborhood, refuting T-Mobile's assertion that the tower would not deflate property values.

"My home is assessed for $450,000," said Bruce Sysyn of 400 Paquette Ave. "I asked a certified appraiser and he said if that tower goes up, it goes to maybe $400,000, maybe $390,000. It's the reverse of the view tax - it's detrimental to our property."

A representative of a law firm representing T-Mobile said studies show that cell phone towers have no adverse effect on property values, but said those studies were not included in his client's application.
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Monopole mural helps stem graffiti
July 18, 2007
SAN DIEGO, CA - The city's superintendent of parks and community services said a mural on a monopole has added to the attractiveness of the city and has also prevented graffiti.

"A cell phone tower at Townsite  Park was tagged once or twice a day until a mural was painted on it," Superintendent Bill Fortmueller said.

That was a year ago. Since then, it has been vandalized  just once, he said


Crown Castle opts for birds over billowing sails in high art
July 17, 2007
OCEANSIDE, CA - The liaison to the Oceanside Arts Commission, Rocky Chavez, also a City Council member, says that Crown Castle International is considering turning a 65-foot monopole near the Interstate 5, State Route 78 interchange into a work of art that will be seen by more than 350,000 motorists every day. The structure will have a swirling net made of nylon or acrylic as well as foam birds made of hard resin. The non-descript birds will be the size of sea gulls in fitting with a nautical Oceanside theme. Sails were previously suggested, but Crown Castle's engineers said that they were too heavy and would hinder maintenance.

Panel says T-Mobile's pole lacks eye appeal for church property

July 16, 2007
CONTRA COSTA, CA - A city advisory panel has rejected plans submitted by T-Mobile for a 50-foot monopole being proposed at the American Baptist Church of the Valley near Montevideo Drive. The carrier said that they were going to paint the lower half dark brown and the upper half light gray to help it blend in with the ground and sky. The Architectural Review Board nixed that idea and suggested that T-Mobile consider a tree-type monopole, but T-Mobile's engineers said that faux foliage does not work with the engineering they have already done. The committee suggested that T-Mobile look at the possibility of installing the equipment within the 50-foot-tall church steeple where Sprint has their transmitters, but Sprint says there is no available space.
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Dead looking monopalms a concern of planning commission
July 13, 2007
PARADISE VALLEY, AZ - Officials on the Paradise Valley Planning Commission want to know if a T-Mobile request to install a cell phone tower disguised as a palm tree at the El Chorro Lodge will be better looking than some of the older monopalms that were installed years ago in the Valley that were done poorly and look very dissimilar to their natural cousins.


"The bark is very realistic. The fronds are very realistic. Some of the previous ones looked like they were dead palm trees," said a senior planner who commented upon the current structures available today.

The permit only needs approval by the commission and does not require review by the Town Council.
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Spread of pornography on sacred ground is concern of parishioner
July 11, 2007
SCHAUMBURG, IL - Village officials approved plans that will permit a cell-phone antenna to be placed on the roof of a Catholic community center despite concerns that it would promote the spread of pornography. The Village Board postponed a decision last month after several parishioners at St. Matthew Catholic Church objected to the U.S. Cellular transmitter on church property. The parish council already had agreed to place the antenna on the roof. The parish expects the lease to generate $20,000 a year.

"Here is a facility put on your property, which is sacred ground, which is putting out, and being paid for, by everything that is blasphemous," said a parishioner, who testified at last month's Village Board meeting.
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Tower suit filed to clear way for $28 million development
July 10, 2007
OAK FOREST, IL - Oak Forest officials filed a lawsuit last week in Cook County Circuit Court alleging that SprintCom subleased a cell tower at 159th Street and Cicero Avenue without the city's permission. With construction on a $28 million transit-oriented development on the same corner just months away, the city wants to move the cell tower. The City Council on June 12 voted to terminate SprintCom's lease for the cell tower. The suit alleges that SprintCom subleased the tower to a subsidiary of Global Signal Inc. in 2005, breaking the terms of its lease with Oak Forest. The lawsuit was filed against SprintCom, Global Signal Acquisitions III LLC and related business holdings.


Sioux Council members concerned about effects of radiation on medicine plants
July 9, 2007

PORCUPINE, N.D. - The Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council voted six to four last week not to relocate a 197-foot tall cell phone tower that will be constructed west of Porcupine in the watershed of the Cannonball River, a sanctuary for traditional medicine plants.

"There are many important plants there, including some not found anywhere else on the reservation," said Linda Jones, Catawba, an ethnobotanist and faculty member at Sitting Bull College in Fort Yates. "We know radiation changes cell structure, so these plants will change. Can people continue to use them as medicine?"

The tower, one of 29, will be built by Turtle Island Telecommunications, a Native-owned firm, and eventually owned by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
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Town officials vote to get an assessment by state's siting council
July 6, 2007
WOODBRIDGE, CT - The community needs a new cell tower to provide better coverage and Verizon has been working with Woodbridge's eight-member cell tower advisory committee to address the problem since 2005, but it may take a little longer before a 180-foot tower is constructed to provide adequate cell phone service. Although there is a cell site recently installed inside the First Church of Woodbridge in the center of town, residents thought this would be a better location, but the advisory group said that the 67-foot height location would not be sufficient. The Board of Selectmen recently voted to get a telecommunications assessment by consulting with the Connecticut Siting Council, the state agency responsible for setting standards for location, design and construction of public utility facilities. One BOS member was concerned that the delay might see Verizon lose interest in constructing the cell phone tower. In addition, she was concerned that the Woodbridge might lose anticipated revenue by if the structure was not built on community property. "A private property owner could start the process and build the tower on their property," she said.
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Residents say that site is being marketed, but hasn't been approved
July 5, 2007
TAFTVILLE, CT -  A proposal for a 120-foot monopole in Taftville has neighbors concerned about how it will look in their neighborhood. They also say that they accidentally found out about the structure that is being requested to be built at The Maennerchor Club, a German-American social club at 39 Maennerchor Ave. They say the site already is listed on Optasite Towers LLC's web site as a cellular tower site, with a site number offering rental space. Mayor Ben Lathrop Tuesday handed off a package he received June 29 to Acting City Manager Joseph Ruffo with technical reports for the tower. "It's out of our control," Mayor Lathrop said. We have 60 days to reply with constructive criticism." A number of community officials said they were not aware of Optasite's proposal.
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One hundred percent monopole setback waiver on hold until July 26
July 5, 2007
JACKSONVILLE, FL - A vote on a waiver that would allow a controversial cell phone tower site at a Christ the Messiah Church property at 7576 San Jose Blvd. has been put on hold until at least July 26 as a search for an alternate site begins. Towercom wants to build a 150-foot monopole on a wooded lot northwest of the church sanctuary. City planners say the city mandates a 150-foot setback from neighboring property lines for a tower this tall, and the proposal meets that everywhere except its south border with Lareda Lane and The Bolles School's practice field. Protesters, some of whom live on Lareda Lane, say a tall tower doesn't belong in a residential area and could pose a hazard if it fell and blocked the road.


Planners to review monopine following council approval
July 4, 2007
FAYETTEVILLE, AR - Plans to put a cellular phone tower designed as a monopine was passed by the Fayetteville City Council 5-3 yesterday. Supporters of the cell tower agreement cited the financial windfall it would bring to the city.

The tower's design, which will shield it from notice also worked in its favor. The cell tower must be approved by the Fayetteville Planning Commission before it is built. Smith Communications said the structure will be 150-feet tall.

Planners' incorrect mailing will require second hearing
July 2, 2007
GLENEDEN BEACH, OR - A request to install a new cellular telephone tower in Gleneden Beach was heard by the Lincoln County Planning Commission this week, and the commission gave its approval. However, it was later discovered that the required notice for the public hearing was inadequate, and the parties must go through the entire process once again on July 23. The planners approved a 149-foot monopole for Verizon Wireless. Only one resident came to speak about the tower which should have tipped off the board that other residents were not aware of the meeting.
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Verizon rebuffs quarter million dollars up front payment request
June 30, 2007
WHEATON, IL - Residents of the Arrow Glen Estates subdivision are trying to use a new wrinkle to try to halt a 100-foot cell site flag pole that is proposed to be erected near the golf course's maintenance facility - requiring an inordinate amount of money to be paid up front by the carrier. They are supporting park staff members that want Verizon Wireless to put $250,000 of up-front money of the deal that would bring nearly $1 million in revenue to the park district over a 25-year leasing agreement. Verizon says they'll only consider putting $50,000 up front.
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Court throws out site denial, citing allowable permitting use for Sprint's application
June 28, 2007
WOODBRIDGE, NJ - Approximately 50 residents reluctantly chose a stealth-type tree monopole this week instead of a 120-foot flagpole for a Sprint cell site. They would rather have had the Zoning Board deny the applicant, which it did in May 2006, but state Superior Court Judge James P. Hurley of Middlesex County, sitting in New Brunswick, overturned that ruling last month after reviewing a lawsuit files against the board's decision. The court cited in Hurley's seven-page decision that the township Zoning Board "obviously lost sight of the fact that the use is a permitted use; although a conditional use, it is permitted by ordinance." Also, there was no competent testimony that the introduction of the monopole into the neighborhood would have any detrimental effect on property values, Hurley's decision said.
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Reversed decision takes out T-Mobile 120-foot cell tower
June 27, 2007
SOUTH LYON, IL - The South Lyon Zoning Board of Appeals has reversed its decision to allow T-Mobile to erect a 120-foot tower on Mill Street to increase cell phone coverage in the area, said City Manager Rodney Cook. The tower was planned for private property in an industrial area, until residents voiced concerns about the location near a neighborhood park. They also expressed concern about the tower's looming presence over downtown South Lyon and whether it would deter new businesses. No decision has been made concerning an alternate site.
Fair Haven OKs lease with church for cell tower


Second church location chosen to relief of New Jersey residents
June 26, 2007
FAIR HAVEN, NJ - Borough Council members approved a lease with Christ Methodist Church for property to build a Fair Haven-owned cell phone tower after residents protested the possibility of it being on land behind the Church of Nativity. Their selection had nothing to do with religious preferences, but was based upon what council members thought would provide the least visual impact. Under the agreement, the borough and church will split the tower revenues. The exact amount the church will receive depends on the outcome of negotiations with individual cellular telephone carriers. The church will receive a base amount to be determined and additional payments on a sliding scale, depending on how many carriers have antennas on the tower.
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Tower siting sits better when it goes into community's coffers
June 25, 2007
MADISON, CT - Madison's Board of Selectmen will consider the approval of placing four cell sites on town property at Strong Field at the Surf Club, the Rockland Preserve, the Bus Depot on Nathan's Lane and the bulky waste site on Ridge Road. One official says that the advantage of public property placement allows the town to have more control over placement. The board also sees an additional reason to not allow carriers to easily place their sites on business or residential parcels - money from long term leases. There will be a public hearing this evening at 7:00 p.m. at the Town Campus.
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Maine fights planners over tower's fall radius concerns
June 22, 2007
HALLOWELL, ME - The Board of Appeals will consider a request on next Wednesday to overturn a Planning Board decision that prevents construction of a public safety communication tower on Granite Hill. The state wants to replace an old city-owned civil defense tower on Beacon Road. But the project doesn't meet the city's minimum setback requirements for a fall zone if the tower were to collapse. An existing 120-foot tower could be extended to 180 feet at a cost of $306,000. A public safety spokesperson said the request for a variance is appropriate, citing that if the tower fell it wouldn't cross a regularly maintained roadway, and he said there are no structures close enough for it to fall on.
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South Dakota county sees a cash cow in cell site applications
June 21, 2007
YANKTON, SD - Carriers and tower companies will be spending considerably more than in the past to build towers in Yankton County after the County Commission voted earlier this week to approve a new building permit fee structure for telecommunications facilities, raising the fee to $5,000 for a new tower, and $2,500 for co-location of equipment on an existing tower. Fees were previously determined by the estimated valuation of the tower like other county structures.

Yankton already requires carriers to place $8,500 into an escrow account for professional evaluation of a proposed tower site. The reason given by the county's zoning administrator for the increase in the permit fees was increased costs for storing records on cell towers during their 20-to-30-year life span. He did not provide any details supporting the additional recordkeeping requirements for a co-location or raw land build that would not be incurred by any other commercial building or structure.
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California supervisors opt not to fight RF concerns
June 20, 2007
LAKEPORT, CA - After a two-hour discussion regarding a cell tower proposed for Upper Lake, the Board of Supervisors said it will hold off on a decision for a second time. A disagreement regarding the number of telecommunications towers in the county, a lack of a comprehensive telecommunications plan or an ordinance to outline how many cell phone towers the county will allow were issues that the supervisors want to further address. RF emissions from the 120-foot Upper Lake tower being proposed by U.S. Cellular were also a concern, but the supervisors generally agreed that if the carrier was in compliance it was not a battle they wanted to pick, noting that they were governed by the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

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Residential rooftop cell site nixed by planners
June 20, 2007
ANGELS CAMP, CA - A California couple wanted the Angels Camp Planning Commission to consider allowing a cell site to be built on their roof, but the commission rejected its first-ever request to place antennas on a residential rooftop. One of the homeowners works for Golden State Cellular, the applicant, and would have received $500 a month in rent for the three antennas that would be placed on his roof with a transceiver cabinet located at the side yard of the home. The tower would eliminate a service gap for the carrier in the downtown area. The homeowners are weighing their options, including a possible appeal to the City Council.
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Town to expand its tower leasing business
June 19, 2007
WARRINGTON TOWNSHIP, PA - Warrington officials are considering constructing their own cell site on township-owned property and reap what they believe will be enough profit to pay for the structure in three to five years. The price to build the structure is between $100,000 and $150,000, according to Supervisor Mike Lamond. The township currently leases space on its water tower for $30,000 per year. A contractor has been hired to review the land as a possible location for the tower; however, industry observers believe that it might involve a higher cost than is being projected for the 100-foot to 150-foot flagpole and the site compound. The township will be looking for T-Moble to lease the site. Earlier this year the carrier received a harsh response from residents when it wanted to build a tower on Valley Road. The monopole-type structure is being considered for Street Road where the township owns the property that has a pumping station on it.

Verizon says Kansas county violated Telecom Act of 1996, files suit
June 18, 2007
DOUGLAS COUNTY, KS -  Douglas County's denial of a cell tower site near the intersection of U.S. highways 56 and 59 west of Baldwin City has forced Verizon Wireless to file a lawsuit this week in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, claiming the county violated the Federal Telecommunictions Act of 1996. Verizon claims that the county never issued a written denial of their request and the denial was not based on evidence. Twice Verizon attempted to obtain a conditional use permit from the county to build the 150-foot telecommunications tower. The last time Verizon came before the commissioners and had Trott Communications of Texas identify that the carrier had no alternative co-location opportunities and supported the need for a tower.

Sprint's Crown Castle sublease in violation of lease, IL city says
June 15, 2007
OAK FOREST, IL - The city  of Oak Forest says it is ready to take SprintCom, Inc. to Cook County court to have their lease terminated on a cell site. Sprint leased the property from the city in 1997, but now stands in the way of the city's planned redevelopment of the 159th Street and Cicero Avenue intersection. The city tried to negotiate with Sprint to have the cell phone tower moved, but was unsuccessful. During negotiations the city attorney found that SprintCom had subleased the property to Crown Castle International, which violates the original lease, they say.
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Property value decline due to cell tower questioned by applicant
June 14, 2007
FAIR HAVEN, NJ - A local realtor says her experience in selling real estate shows that the value of homes will decline drastically in the area of a cell tower and she is opposint a tower being proposed  on property near the Church of the Nativity on Ridge Road where Verizon and Omnipoint Comunciations are seeking variances from the borough's zoning board for a 133-foot cellular tower. The applicant's attorney, William Stillwell, challenged the realtor and said he had a study that was submitted in evidence that showed this was not true and asked if she had a study supporting her position. The realtor responded that she had attended a real estate seminar where it was stated that power lines, busy streets and cell towers lower the value of homes, with cell towers causing a 5 to 10 percent drop. The recent meeting was one of a series on the cell tower application held by the zoning board. Another meeting has been scheduled for August 9.
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Tennessee cell tower put on hold until tenancy is addressed.
June 14, 2007
The City Variance Board on Wednesday denied the request for a permit to build a 180-foot cell tower on the property located on Ashland Terrace until Wireless Properties, brings letters of intent from possible tenets of the cell towers. The request will be reviewed again at the July meeting. A city official noted that two towers that were previously approved by the board have no tenets. Wireless Properties representative said that his firm will build for one tenet. He noted that the national average is 1.9 tenets per tower and most of the Wireless Properties have two or more tenets.
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Washington lobbyist persuades U.S. Congress to side with tower group
June 13, 2007
GOLDEN, CO - For over eight years, a group of local television stations called the Lake Cedar Group, fought Golden residents and officials for the right to build a digital TV tower on Lookout Mountain. They were unsuccessful, hiring last year Wiley Rein & Fielding LLP, a lobbying and law firm in Washington. In just eight months, the firm accomplished what the stations had been unable to achieve. Only the firm didn't do it by convincing Golden officials of the need for the tower. Instead, it got Republican U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, with help from Democratic U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, to do something he had never done before: Make the U.S. Congress pick a side in a local dispute.
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Connecticut board advances the placement of four cell tower sites
June 13, 2007
MADISON, CT - Selectmen for the town have taken an aggressive position to ensure that areas of the community that do not have cell phone coverage will be able to enjoy wireless service. The Board of Selectmen Monday announced a proposal to place four cell phone towers on town property - including Rockland Preserve and the Surf Club - and invited the public to comment on the idea at a public hearing June 25. "The thing to remember is there are going to be cell towers in Madison whether we put them up or somebody else does," he told those attending the Board of Selectmen meeting Monday morning.
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Utility gets nod from zoning for a 480-foot guyed tower
June 13, 2007
JAY COUNTY, IN - The Jay County Board of Zoning Appeals this week approved a special exception petition, requested by Indiana & Michigan Power Co., that will allow for the erection of a 480-foot guyed tower, designed to improve communications between the company's vehicles. The board also approved a variance in its 100-foot height standard. I&MP will build the structure on ten acres of land they have purchased east of Bryant, near Jay County roads 600-N and 450-E, from Muhlenkamp Farms. A 288-square-foot equipment shelter will also be constructed.

Ridge view not to be changed by Cingular monopine
June 12, 2007
MADRID, NM - Cingular has withdrawn its application to build a tower in the Madrid area and said it also will withdraw a related lawsuit. The company's proposal to locate a monopine on a ridge above the former mining town was first voted down by Santa Fe County's Community Development Review Committee last July. Cingular appealed that decision to Santa Fe County commissioners, who also denied the application, citing residents' desires to maintain the nature of the town's ridge lines. Cingular's case was sent to the Federal Communications Commission for review in early June. A day later, Cingular withdrew its application.
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Rural users concerned about cap on cell tower subsidies
June 11, 2007
PORTLAND, ME - Many Maine residents are joining together to oppose a proposed freeze on federal subsidies for construction of rural cell-phone towers. The Federal Communications Commission is considering a cap on payments from the Universal Service Fund created by Congress more than 10 years ago to subsidize cell-phone service in rural areas that lack enough customers for companies to justify equipment installation costs. Mainers say the move would slow efforts to fill service gaps in the state, approximately 1,600 zones with intermittent or nonexistent coverage.
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Illinois wireless carriers fail to get federal money for cell towers
June 9, 2007
CHICAGO, IL -  In many states, federal subsidies from a universal service fund help pay for such towers, but not in Illinois. Until recently, carriers weren't interested. Now a proposed cap on funding from Washington for wireless service threatens to dash hopes for future subsidies to cell service Downstate. Cell phone carriers agree that people are dying from lack of emergency service communications capabilities, they cannot spent $350,000 on a tower of less than 1,000 people. There are many stories of outrageous subsidies collected under the fund's arcane rules. In May, The Honolulu Advertiser reported that three phone companies were receiving $765 a month per customer in subsidies to provide service to residents of some rural areas of Hawaii. Illinois is on the other side of the abuse story.
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Connecticut tower approval could signal start of health effect study
June 8, 2007
WASHINGTON, CT - If Verizon Wireless gets approval for a 157-foot tower proposed for the Marbledale section of town it could also signal the commencement for one of the first communities in the nation to participate in a groundbreaking epidemiology study researching the effect of cell towers on human health. The study is being coordinated by the EMR Policy Institute and Dr. Chris Busby, director of the United Kingdom-based research group Green Audit. If the tower is approved, the study will survey residents who live both near the tower and those who live within lateral exposure of the tower, meaning at the same elevation as the cellular transmitters. Participants will be surveyed both before the tower is built and after the tower is in operation. They will be asked questions like, "In the last few weeks have you suffered from any of the following: headache, memory changes, depression, blurred vision, sleep

disturbance ... " etc.
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Maryland legislator wants to ban cell towers from school properties
June 8, 2007
RANDALSTOWN, MD -State Senator Bobby Zirkin says he is going to propose legislation banning cell towers from school properties in Baltimore County after residents said that they were worried about safety hazards and health risks regarding a cell phone tower that is proposed to be built at Randallstown High School. Although it could fill school coffers by $450,000, there is opposition to the cell tower. A Randalstown resident has appealed the county permit for the tower and legal briefs are due June 15.


Historic Georgia city changes antiquated tower ordinance
June 8, 2007
SAVANNAH, GA - The Savannah City Council voted to change a ten-year-old city ordinance regarding the placement of cell phone towers. Cell sites will now have to be concealed as a priority, but other structures will be reviewed. Charlotte Moore of the Metropolitan Planning Commission said, "Ideally we're hoping to see more concealed facilities, like flagpoles." said Moore. "It has to be context appropriate too," Moore said. "You don't want to see a smokestack in the middle of a residential neighborhood."


Planners vote against Crown Castle's broadcast tower extension
June 8, 2007
GASTONIA, NC - Crown Castle International was denied approval by Gastonia's planning commission to increase an existing tower's height atop Crowders Mountain from 125-feet to 250-feet. Crown wanted a taller tower to broadcast the signal of a radio station that is planning to move to Gaston County from Gaffney, S.C. The request and the planning commission's recommendation now go to the Gastonia City Council, which will hold a public hearing June 19.


Fire station cell site tower nixed by advisory council
June 8, 2007
OAK PARK, CA - After listening to numerous concerned residents, the Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council agreed unanimously not to support a proposed 80-foot communications tower with 12 T-Mobile cellular antennas at Fire Station 36 on Deerhill Road. T-Mobile said it is exploring alternative sites including the water tower above the Regency Hills neighborhood and a hill adjacent to the Shadow Ridge condominium complex.
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Council tables monopine conditional use permit
June 7, 2007
FAYETTEVILLE, AR - The Fayetteville City Copuncil tabled a resolution concerning a 150-foot monopine cell tower lease for a 60-by-60-foot square piece of property in the noretheast corner of  Walker Park to provide residents with additional time to voice their concerns. The decision that was being considered Tuesday night was not whether the 150-foot monopine should be allowed. Rather, a council vote for a lease on the land would have meant that Smith Two-Way Radio could go forward with an application for a conditional use permit. If approved, the cityy would receive a $ 20, 000 contribution for the mural project at Walker Park and between $ 12,000 and $54,000 each year in rent, depending on how many cell phone companies collocate on the monopole-type tower.
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Planners recommend PA Turnpike interchange tower.
June 7, 2007
NORTH HUNTINDON TOWNSHIP, PA - A 190-foot cell phone tower was recommended by the township's planning commission this week. The structure will be built near the Irwin interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. T-Mobile, which has a development agreement with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, is covering the cost of the tower and site work which is expected to cost approximately $250,000. Construction of the cell site is expected to take 45 days, and will begin 60 days after T-Mobile receives approval from township commissioners.
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Viaero gets OK for cell site that might double as retail outlet
June 7, 2007
ALMA, NE - Viaero Wireless received permission from the Alma City Council Tuesday to erect a 195-foot communications tower at the intersection of U.S. Highways 136 and 183. Viaero is also considering constructing a retail store located at the base of the tower to sell phones, services and accessories. The property is located south of Fisherman's Corner. Viaero, a Colorado-based carrier, is developing communication towers along major Nebraska highways to serve rural parts of the state and is specifically interested in Harlan County because of visitors to Harlan County Lake.


Lattice structure too wide for county's E911 tower
June 6, 2007
HAILEY, ID - The City of Hailey has informed the Blaine County administrator that it will not approve a 60-foot self supporting tower that is to be constructed alongside the new county building, citing that the request violates the city's ordinance that a lattice-type communications tower can not be more than two-foot square. Hailey's authorities informed the county that a monopole would be acceptable, but the county is trying to conform to a communications study performed for the E911 center that said the structure should be a lattice-type self supporting tower. County Commissioners are currently arranging a meeting with city officials to further discuss the available options for a tower that complies with Hailey's ordinances.

County planners disallow Verizon cell site tower
June 6, 2007
JEFFERSON COUNTY, MO - The Jefferson County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-3 to reject a request to build a 190-foot tower for Verizon Wireless at 10301 Apke Road in Meramac Township. Less than two dozen residents from the mostly rural, wooded area commended the board for its recommendation. Opponents cited potentially diminished property values, possible health risks and aesthetics.Mike Douchant, a representative of Dolan Realty Advisors, which buys property for Verizon, said the company needed the tower to plug holes in its coverage.

Virginia county gives nod to two Ntelos monopoles
June 6, 2007
BOTETOURT COUNTY, VA - The Boteourt County Board of Supervisors approved two special exception permit requests last week by Ntelos that will allow the carrier to construct cell phone towers near Eagle Rock and Iron Gate in the U.S. 220 corridor. The unanimous decision regarding the two 199 foot monopoles will help to fill in spotty coverage in the area. Both structures are capable of supporting four carriers.


Industry urged to contact NC legislators regarding siting bill
June 5, 2007
RALEIGH, NC - The Carolinas Wireless Association is urging its members and other wireless communications professionals to support the North Carolina wireless facilities bill, S.831.The bill currently remains pending before the Senate Commerce Committee and is expected to be voted on this week, and committee members need to hear from industry members about the importance of the bill. The association is requesting that interested parties should email or call as many committee member offices as they can to urge their support of the bill.

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AT&T splits lease difference in lieu of litigation
June 4, 2007
ANCHORAGE, AK - AT&T will pay Anchorage $41,400 to get out of a lease on the city's cell phone tower. The payment, equal to two years of rent for space on the tower, will be made upfront to settle a lawsuit the city brought when AT&T tried to break its lease last fall. The lease extended through October 2010. T-Mobile, Sprint and Crickett Communications also have leases on the 180-foot tower, which is near Anchorage's police department and City Hall. AT&T will continue to keep one spot on the tower. AT&T has been negotiating with tower owners to break their lease at locations where Cingular Wireless had duplicate coverage in markets after AT&T acquired BellSouth and Cingular last year.
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Tower approved by zoning to be heard by city fathers tomorrow
June 4, 2007
LAKE CHARLESTON, IL - At its June 5 meeting, the City Council will consider Radio station WBGL's application to build a tower near the intersection of County Road 1800E and Chief Road. The tower would boost the station's frequency so that it would be able to broadcast in a 25-mile radius from Charleston, according to its proposal. The city zoning board approved the Champaign radio station's request last month. WBGL broadcasts religious programming.

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