Placitas Residents Stop Proposed Verizon Cell Tower

Sandoval County, NM commissioners voted Tuesday to deny a proposal for a 75-foot Verizon cell tower in Placitas after strong opposition from residents, according to KOB-TV. Residents wore red ribbons in a show of unity and spent hours speaking against the project before commissioners rejected the proposal late in the meeting.

About 50 people arrived early for the meeting, filling the county building as residents argued the tower would harm the village’s landscape and gathering spaces. Many questioned Verizon’s claim that the area lacks reliable service, saying smaller, less visible cell antennas already provide better coverage.