Digital connectivity in Fort Collins, CO is coming under review as the appeal of a good view versus a good connection has come under debate. Curious to know how local residents felt about the situation, The Coloradoan initiated a discussion under their Coloradoan Conversations section asking readers “Would you trade community aesthetics for better cell phone service around Fort Collins?”
According to The Coloradoan, of the 47 responses posted, the majority – 75 percent – favored a reliable signal over a pretty vista. Respondent Craig Z., for example, said safety should be the biggest concern, noting, “When I was a kid, a local intersection, where a 2-lane road entered a 4-laner, had a single stop sign to control traffic. After the third fatal accident, the stop sign was replaced with a traffic light. The lesson to me was clear: The cost of a traffic light was three dead people. How many dropped/failed 911 calls is aesthetics worth?”
“If we have to choose between a quaint appearance for our town and a cell phone system that allows us to connect with the rest of the world, I would have to support better communications,” agreed Don B. “However, with such a creative population of artists in our community, I have to believe we could come up with structures to house the antennas that would be appealing to all. (I’m thinking more along the lines of church steeples or Washington monuments rather than fake trees.)”
“Put them atop light poles on the baseball fields in Fossil Creek Park, or add them to those already hideous poles along Lemay at Southridge Greens Golf Course,” said a resident.
The Fort Collins City Council recently approved updating the wireless equipment requirements but exactly what this means for residents is not yet known. “There’s an obvious tension between what our standards allow and what we need to have coverage for our residents throughout the city,” noted city planner Will Lindsey. “Sometimes you’ll hear commentary like, ‘Well, so what if you can’t get a good signal at the corner of Taft and Drake or something? Is that really that big of a deal?’ And, unfortunately, I think as time goes on and technology continues to proliferate, it is going to be a big deal for almost everybody.”
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