AT&T and Nexius are poised to install 71 small cells around Cape Girardeau (MO). The majority of poles (69) are being constructed in the city, while two devices are planned for the Missouri Department of Transportation rights-of-way, reported the Southeast Missourian.
All poles will stand approximately 40-feet tall. Of the total number of poles planned, 59 will be wooden, and 18 will have camouflage features, painted light gray.
The Missourian reported that Todd Richbourg, plan reviewer and site inspector for Cape Girardeau, looked at each site to determine which version of the pole should be installed. “If it was a residential neighborhood that doesn’t have any above-ground utilities and doesn’t already have a bunch of wooden poles in the area, we requested them to install a camouflaged pole,” he said. “These poles are supposed to mimic our light poles. They’re not a 100 percent match, but they’re as close as AT&T could get them. That way, you won’t have a wooden pole in your front yard where there is not another wooden pole on the entire street.”
Although Richbourg took care of planning and placement, some residents complained of a lack of advance notice regarding projects, which is the contractors’ responsibility. According to resident Therese Klipfel, “We had some guys out there putting out flags, and we went outside to ask questions.”
Advance notice was not received, and the neighbors are concerned over reduced property values. “I don’t want to stand in the way of progress, but feel this situation could have been handled differently,” Mike Klipfel said.
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