Tower Approved for Midland

The Midland City Council in Michigan approved a site plan Monday night that will allow Verizon Wireless to install a communications tower. The tower was widely debated, but with a 4-1 vote the proposal was approved. Diane Brown Wilhelm, who was the sole voter against the project, raised concerns about how the tower would look. Concealing the tower was an option discuss, but ultimately denied since disguising the tower as a monopine would reduce the tower’s use for other wireless carriers to co-locate. “Brown Wilhelm moved to amend the resolution to allow a contingency for the monopine design, but the amendment was not approved by a vote before the council. At least nine Midland residents spoke during the public hearing period and opposed the wireless tower for numerous reasons, citing safety and parking as some of the key issues for not wanting the tower in the residential area,” the Midland Daily News reported. Despite opposition the Council approved the project, and the tower will be constructed near Midland Baptist Church.