How I See It Now, A Revised Look
By Mark Taubensee, January 11, 1999
Events are causing the ordinance to
change......for the better. The ordinance now stipulates that
cellular
service providers can only build towers if they can not find suitable
existing
structures for that purpose. There are a few built-in loopholes to this
however,
that involve technical, or financial 'hardship' encountered by the
cellular
provider.
It would be nice to know how this
type of
provision is working elsewhere in the country.
A map is being assembled of all the
existing
structures that can support cellular antennas. Most areas of the county
have
existing structures that should accommodate cellular antennas.Though
some may
involve placing antennas on water towers, we know this has been done
successfully in Sellersburg, Indiana north of Louisville. We also
have
discovered that, with some modifications, high voltage electricity
towers can
serve as a supporting structure for the cellular antennas as
well.
The issue here for residents can be
stated
simply.....Do we need new towers when we already have structures that
can
accommodate the necessary electronics?
Here's the problem. It necessitates
on the part
of the cellular service provider some extra work and expense. They will
have to
deal with another entity to lease space, whether it's another service
provider
with an existing tower, or a water company or an electric utility. Sure,
it
would be easier to erect all new towers for the companies, but at the
price of
alienating many of the present and future customers who don't want
them. A
boycott of a certain provider based on their blatant disregard for the
scenic
sensibilities of their consumer base is a real possibility. Conversely,
consumer
shifts in service to a provider with the residents concerns foremost at
the top
of their public relations could conceivably occur. So the decision is
really up
to the companies. Just how reluctant will they be?
What we need to hear now is from all
the
cellular providers frankly and publicly. Whether they can use existing
structures or whether they will balk at this, developing strategies to
take
advantage of the ordinance loopholes. We just don't know. We should
expect some
of them to come on board and some to struggle. We certainly want to
avoid
litigation.
Another problem is the needs of the
future. Will
future consumer demand necessitate more antennas to the extent that
existing
structures will become full, meaning that new towers will have to be
constructed?
Please make your views known too....