A proposal to relocate and erect a 175-foot tower, 75-feet higher than a nearby tower that it could replace near Iles Park, got a cool reception from Springfield, IL residents on Monday. But once they learned Crown Castle could pay the town $14,500 annually and the proceeds could be used to improve the park, they warmed to the plan. Derek Harms, executive director of the park district, said the proposed location for the cell tower would cause minimal, if any, impact on how people currently use the park or any future development plans, the Springfield Journal-Review reported.
Residents asked numerous questions about the height of the tower and what could be done to make it blend into the park, the Journal-Review said. Crown Castle’s area program manager Paul Peckens told the Monday meeting the tower’s foundation would be 45-by-45 feet, the company is willing to install landscaping, and would be open to making the tower better blend in if the park district desires. Resident Jamie Adair, a longtime member of the Bunn Park Neighborhood Association, said his main hope was for the tower to be as aesthetically pleasing as possible. Adair said he has concerns but didn’t oppose the project if it could fund park improvements. The earliest the board could vote is February 23.
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