After plans for three other towers were shot down, Mobilitie wanted to place a small cell antenna on top of a street lamp at the corner of Main Avenue and Fourth Street, but the city of De Pere may still not agree to the less intrusive alternative.
Mobilitie, operating under the name Wisconsin Technologies Networking, has submitted plans for erecting three new towers topped with satellite dishes in public right-of-ways in Howard, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette. While city officials are close to approving the Main and Fourth location with a revocable permit, the other three applications were denied. The city council said that the Main and Fourth small cell could happen if Mobilitie pays $400 in fees and if a structural engineer OKs the plans, according to the Press-Gazette. But, the other three were deemed unsafe because they could block signage or become a risk to vehicles.
However, a state statute said that as part of a 2013 budget bill, local municipalities are restricted from denying cell towers. The Press-Gazette reported that the only way for municipalities to stop towers is “for public health or safety reasons backed with ‘substantial written evidence.’”
Mobilitie also applied for permits to place antennas in locations in Ashwaubenon, Waupun and Wauwatosa. De Pere Administrator Larry Delo told the Press-Gazette that the city “should reach out to other communities to develop a common set of standards for regulating the antennas.”
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