There is already a Bad Axe cell tower in Huron County, but it was erected in 2003 and either needs a revision or a rebuild, reports the Huron Daily Tribune. The current cell tower is 190-feet tall. AT&T says it needs a minimum height of at least 210-feet to meet upgrade requirements. In fact, AT&T proposed a 310-foot tower, but the Huron County Planning Commission only approved a structure with a maximum reach of 220-feet.
If final approval is granted and special use permits are issued, the tower will also need lights, per FCC regulations. Altering the existing tower is a possibility, but Telecom Towers’ owner Ben Varney favors building a new one. “The $93,000 modification will only accommodate AT&T and will not allow for future carriers to co-locate on the tower without further modification to the existing tower,” Varney said in his application to the planning commission. “If I cannot structurally accommodate new carriers to co-locate on this tower, they will need to erect a new tower in this general vicinity.”
Thumb Cellular also uses the existing tower, and T-Mobile has been approached regarding its interest in possibly co-locating on a new tower. Varney suggested two different options for construction. The one he recommended as the better option would place the new construct 97 feet away from property lines and would involve an easy transition for the carriers.
It is estimated that once construction begins, a new tower could be in place within four months. Once the new cell tower is in operation, the town can proceed to demolish the old one.
June 10, 2019
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