The city of Naples, FL prides itself on its botanical appeal, a look that some residents fear will be marred by the appearance of cell towers. As WINK-TV reports, both Crown Castle and Verizon Wireless have looked into placing 35-foot small cell poles at key points around Naples. However, Crown Castle has just withdrawn its application to build in the 3rd Street South location.
WINK-TV suggests that pressure from local property owner, Neapolitan Group, may have influenced Crown Castle to retreat. Although Alison Bickett, a traffic engineer with the City of Naples, said, “They did not provide any explanation as to why they withdrew those applications.”
Numerous Verizon Wireless proposals remain active. “We try to be the best community servant that we can, we are trying to bring in what we consider our latest and greatest technology,” said Verizon spokesperson, Carrie Burrows.
Crown Castle has indicated that it is interested in continuing to work with the city to find connectivity solutions. City officials reportedly are not sure what direction is best for the character of Naples, but do intend to revisit the issue in the coming months, according to WINK-TV.
While some residents may fret about the aesthetics of cell towers, one person interviewed offered this pragmatic observation: “I don’t care how unattractive. It’s a 21st-century necessity.”
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