Residents appeal cell tower decision

Residents are appealing a city decision that will put a T-Mobile cell tower in their neighborhood due to health concerns and its possible impact on home values.

The cell tower was approved at a Zoning Administrator meeting Nov. 4. A group of residents gathered money to appeal the decision to the Planning Commission and filed the appeal last weekend.

“This, to me, is detrimental to the general welfare, but evidently they don’t agree with me,” resident John Anderson said.

The cell tower will be built on the Community United Methodist Church’s property on Heil Avenue and disguised as a bell tower.

Residents have been picketing the church on Sundays and circulating a petition against the tower. The petition has about 350 signatures.

The tower is being built to meet customer demands, said T-Mobile spokesman Rod De La Rosa.

“In making our decision on where to locate a new site, T-Mobile undertakes a rigorous engineering analysis of available coverage and future expansion needs,” he said.

The city also determined the tower “will not be detrimental to the general welfare of persons working or residing in the vicinity,” according to a report.

— Britney Barnes