Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Cell phone tower trouble brewing

A property owner in the Parks Ridge area wants to lease part of his property to a cell phone company so they can put up a tower. Having a tower there would certainly improve reception for those of us here in the broadcast shadow, but the property owner's neighbors are none too happy about the plan. Kate Hall called me up about this on Sunday to explain: the tower (hole already dug although the permit hasn't yet been secured) would be only 14 feet from the property line (making the man's next-door neighbor unhappy and being within the right of way). People are evidently concerned about the tower's proximity (lots of kids in the neighborhood, worries about the viewshed, broadcasting tower in a residential neighborhood, etc.). Kate told me she'd send me information on the situation, but I haven't got it yet. There will be a planning board meeting at the borough on this in early December.

Dermot Cole has brought up the issue of cell phone towers in his column--the Birch Hill Cemetery has been abused with a tower, setting a bad precedent. It seems to me part of the same pattern of poor planning (or no planning) that plagues the Fairbanks area. Or perhaps it's not so much the planning but the land management. The planning board frequently gets trumped by Paul Costello's department (required to Make Money) or the borough assembly.

More to come.

1 comment:

Super Smooth ANDY-G said...

YOU have a good point. This would provide service for those in the broadcast shadow. I wouldn't be surprised that this goes through despite the neighbor's opposition.

I must say, I'm one of those neighbors, as I'm currently moving to the area.

Evening viewing of the stars?? Good Bye. Northern lights viewing?? See ya!

Property values??? Depressed for the area. The guy leasing the land to Alaska Digitel will be making up to 1000 bucks a month, while the neighbors land values decrease.

If we let Digitel continue to do this throughout Fairbanks, whats next? The borough planning commission could use a plan, instead of this type of sneaky plan where if you look the other way, there may be a tower in your neighborhood overnight.