Tower Relocation Program

A tower in Astoria, Oregon, could finally be relocated after years of discussion. Many residents feel the tower is a blight on a park in Coxcomb Hill where the Astoria Column is located. City officials are working with Verizon to place a new tower on Reservoir Ridge, in addition to a monopole at Shivley Park, and equipment on top of the Astor Hotel. This agreement was approved by the City Council earlier this week, and will improve the city’s emergency communications along with Verizon’s service. According to The Daily Astorian, the city has wanted the communications tower off Coxcomb Hill for several years, but the deal with Verizon became intertwined with questions about transparency in city spending. Even though the proposal was approved, some on the Council were upset that Verizon will place a 150-foot pole in Shivley Park. The City Council ordered the Coxcomb Tower to be moved in April 2013 because it was overcapacity, but Verizon was reluctant to move from that location until the Shivley Park site was secure in order to ensure coverage for customer’s in the city’s south slope. “The approval of the agreement with Verizon is the first step of the process for the new towers, which have to go before the city’s Planning Commission and, for the monopole at Shively Park, the city’s Historic Landmarks Commission,” The Daily Astorian reported.