| Loudon cell tower placement draws ire
Local residents voiced disapproval for a possible
cell tower off Ward Road during the April 16 Loudon County
Commission workshop.
At least 10 county residents were present at the
workshop to let commissioners know they were against the placement
of a 250-foot cell tower from Verizon Wireless at 272 Ward Road in
Loudon.
Loudon County Regional Planning Commission during its
March 20 meeting voted 10-1 against rezoning 25.01 acres in the
fourth district from A-1, Agriculture-Forestry District A-1, to
Agriculture-Forestry District with a T-1, Telecommunication Overlay
District. Board member Ed Lee abstained.
“The process for getting a cell tower in Loudon
County was amended about three and a half years ago to where you can
only have a cell tower in the A-1 and I think C-2 zoning districts,
and in those two zoning districts you have to get a property rezoned
with a T-1 overlay,” Laura Smith, county director of planning, said.
“So this was the first step for the company to get a new cell tower.
... They still have to go to the BZA for special exception and they
would have to submit a site plan.”
James LaPann, representing Verizon Wireless with
Faulk & Foster, and independent consultant Larry Perry were present
to answer questions from commission.
Perry said his job at the workshop was to head off
litigation now or in the future.
“The Federal Communications (Commission), Congress
have pretty well limited the authority, Mr. chairman, of the local
planning commission, the local county and city councils, and as a
result has made (it) very, very difficult for the public to be able
to object to this kind of thing,” Perry said. “Now you can do it,
but the odds are that you’re not going to win in litigation.”
By 2020 the new 5G network is set to come online,
Perry said.
“If we choose to go with the community and the
Verizon people choose to take a lawsuit, we’ve been sued a lot,
we’ve got lawyers, we’ve got money,” Van Shaver, commissioner, said.
“We’ll defend our citizens — in my view — we’ll defend our citizens
if we need to do that. ... No matter where the cell tower goes
you’re going to have a group of people that don’t want it.
“I’ve yet to see one pop up and if it was within 10
miles of residents they’re going to be here saying, ‘We don’t want
it’,” he added. “So we’re faced with a very simple choice: We either
hear from constituents or we hear from the corporate folks over here
that say you have no choice and we’ll just have to make that choice
when the vote comes to the floor.”
Residents said the tower’s placement would damage
property values. Although LaPann said property in most cases
would not depreciate, many still worried it would.
Brett Starr was one of those residents present at
the workshop.
“I think the reason this site was chosen is
because of the easy access,” Starr said. “The property’s
cleared, there’s less work for them, less expense for them, but
we all bought this property with the thought of building a home
with a nice mountain view. If they put this cell tower on this
lot, that lot’s directly in front of the mountains. ... We all
paid good money for that. Why does a big corporation have to
lease the property? Just come buy it. Buy everybody’s property
for whatever they want for it, put up as many cell towers they
want.”
Commissioner Leo Bradshaw, who represents the
fourth district, asked if Verizon Wireless representatives and
residents could meet before the next meeting.
“I think it falls on Verizon’s shoulders to find
another suitable location in that area to put the tower,” Henry
Cullen, commissioner, said.
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4/25/18