With a 6-1 vote, the Boulder City, Nevada Planning Commission has approved a conditional use permit for T-Mobile and Spectrum Services LLC. Boulder City Hospital, which lobbied for the new tower, according to the Boulder City Review, would host the tower on their own property. Thomas Maher, CEO at the hospital, noted that a cell tower was needed to “improve critical coverage and service for the hospital.”
“This tower serves two purposes,” added Chris Wener, owner of Spectrum Services LLC. “It’s for the hospital and to cover the rest of those rooftops.” Wener explained that the hospital has unique wireless communications concerns. Its exceptionally thick walls, he said, can make it difficult for a signal to reach inside the building. Communications within the building might benefit from a distributed antenna system, but getting a wireless signal in or out of the building would be facilitated by the new cell tower.
Some nearby residents whose cell service would also be improved by the addition of a new cell tower expressed concerns about the proposed location. “It’s an eyesore for us,” said hospital neighbor, Bill Ditrapani. “I’ve lived in this house since 1973. It’s been fine … but if this goes in, it’s going to be terrible. … Put it out on the highway, put it out in the desert but not near my house.”
Wener responded that if the cell tower was sited out on the highway, it would not adequately extend coverage to the hospital, or the neighborhood. He also addressed a concern from Planning Commission Chairman Paul Matuska who asked if the equipment could be added to existing lines instead.
If approved by the Public Works Department, explained Wener, the equipment would need to be placed lower to the ground, below the lowest conductors on the pole. The placement would keep the signal from traveling very far and would not solve the service issues as effectively as a new cell tower.
“I do know that this part of the community does suffer from lack of really good cell coverage or even adequate cell coverage to some degree” Matuska told the Boulder City Review. “So, I think it’s a valid concern for the city of Boulder City.”
Planning Commission member Beth Bonnar suggested delaying the conditional use permit vote to gather more information about the possible benefits to the community. “I doubt if we had another hearing that people would show up in favor of a cell tower,” responded fellow Commissioner, Matt DiTeresa. “People just don’t do that. My opinion right now is that I’m in favor of it, and I understand … the residents in the area and their objections. … This is a single, 75-foot cell tower. It’s not a development of radio towers. I don’t think it’s really going to be that aesthetically unpleasing.”
Reader Interactions