On Tuesday, the Ocean City, MD Mayor and City Council denied a request by Crown Castle to install three small cells in uptown residential neighborhoods. According to The Dispatch, Crown Castle appealed to officials in March to install six small cells — three in Montego Bay and three planned for Old Landing Road, Bering Road, and Marlin Drive.
All six nodes were denied, but Crown Castle worked with the City Engineer on design elements and re-approached officials this week on plans for Old Landing Road, Bering Road, and Marlin Drive. Crown Castle is not appealing the Montego Bay small cells at this time, reported The Dispatch.
According to Crown Castle Network Permitting Manager Nathan Campbell, “These are locations the council has seen before. We have worked with city staff on achieving a design that can minimize the impact of these facilities while providing the wireless capacity needed and the community desires.”
Several council members praised the telecom for working closely with the city on updated designs. According to The Dispatch, Ocean City has an agreement with Crown Castle, including desired locations and established aesthetic guidelines.
Councilman Mark Paddack, an advocate of small cells for the resort town, said, “It’s very clear that Crown Castle has worked extensively with our engineering department. I thank you and your company for what you’ve done.” He noted that working with Crown Castle on co-location could minimize the number of small cells that other carriers install.
Conversely, Councilman John Gehrig said he could not support the individual request made without knowing where additional towers would go in the future. “These poles can literally grow like weeds…Until I see a plan with the finished product, I just don’t know if I can vote for something if I don’t know what the outcome is,” he said.
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