Close Encounters of the Tower Kind Rile Locals

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In North Ridgeville, the City’s Planning Commission approved a proposal from TowerCo to build an 180-foot Verizon monopole on a parcel zoned R-1, but since it’s city-owned, typical zoning provisions, such as setbacks, do not apply. According to The Chronicle, this is a sticking point for some residents.

The tower doesn’t require the usual 750-foot setback, yet current plans leave roughly 390 feet between the proposed tower and the next-closest residential lot. In opposition to the proposed location, resident Joshua Hughes noted, “It’s frustrating that just because the city owns the parcel that they can pretty much do whatever they want on it…There’s a lot of other locations with land that wouldn’t really have a negative impact on residents.”

Other complaints by residents included the usual: decreased property values, plus health and safety concerns.  

However, according to Safety Service Director Jeff Armbruster, “The need for a tower at this location is imperative for first responders and two-way radio service. Data in this location is not up to the level it needs to be for emergency services and placing Verizon at this location will remedy that level of communication.”

Additionally, Jason Woodward, director of business development at TowerCo, explained his company was given a very small search radius by Verizon for the tower — effectively putting them in a residential area — to avoid interfering with the tower near City Hall, reported The Chronicle. The search was also confined to city-owned properties.

Since the Planning Commission approved the proposal, the next step is to send it to the Council. But first, the proposal will require adding conditions for a spectrum analysis to be submitted and for the city to assess the zoning regulations TowerCo must comply with before it moves to the next stage.  Comments? Email us.

November 19, 2018