photos by Mike Ritter, TowerSeekers
Valley Church of Christ in the 29000 block of Del Monte Drive in Menifee, CA is drawing attention from passersby who stop to ogle at the unusual construction taking place in their town.
Was it due to a “higher calling” Minister Larry Tiffin? In a sense, yes, although it was Verizon who wants its customers to do the calling by providing them with a loftier perch from which to do it. The agreement to build a new steeple with a camouflaged cell site did not happen easily between the carrier and the community. According to Menifee 24/7, Verizon initially proposed a faux tree design for the tower but the City planning staff wanted something “much nicer for the community.”
When finished, (see rendering above) the site will blend with the church’s Mission-style architecture, with stucco sides and three crosses at the top while the church will receive an undisclosed monthly income from the carrier.
The revenue will be put to good use according to Minister Tiffin. He said the church can expand its mission services in Guatemala and Ghana where they currently have projects, as well as in the U.S. “There’s lots more that we would like to do and now we will be able to do more of those things,” he told Menifee 24/7.
Mike Ritter an attorney for the church and President of TowerSeekers, a company devoted to helping churches negotiate with site developers, said the structure is going up virtually unopposed.
“Right now, there’s nothing nice looking about it,” Ritter told Menifee 24/7. “When it’s done, it will look as good as any I’ve seen. The wireless companies are doing a great job of coming up with aesthetically pleasing designs.”
A monopine tower is planned for the Heritage Lakes community west of Menifee Road between Simpson Road and Shadel Road. The project is in the permitting process.
May 10, 2017
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