Two newly approved cell towers will soon enhance cell phone service to Lake Havasu residents and emergency responders.
At Wednesday's planning and zoning meeting, the applicant, Young Design, requested two key conditional use permits to build the tower.
Plans for the first tower, located at 1867 Walnut Dr. near the Mulberry wastewater treatment plant, were approved by the commission on a narrow 4-3 vote.
Before you vote, Linda Grice and Tyler Ross of Young Design Corp. gave an extensive presentation on how towers work, why they are needed, and statistics on cell phone usage.
“Out of a population of approximately 350 million people, 240 million emergency calls are made each year,” Grice said. “That means two of our girlfriends make emergency calls every year for every three of us. Eighty percent of his emergency calls are made by cell phone.”
Ross said data shows that areas surrounding processing facilities are experiencing frequent cell phone service issues and dropped calls, increasing the need for the towers.
The tower will be 100 feet tall Grice said this is necessary to ensure good cell coverage due to the slope and topography of the area.
After the presentation, residents in the area expressed concerns about the tower's proximity to Cypress Park, about 400 meters away, and how it would obstruct views.
Resident Dean Baker said he understands the need for better cell phone service as the city grows, but said the towers would ruin the view of one of the city's nicest areas. Ta.
Dylan Teschler He also lives in the area, but says he opposes the project.
“I have a growing family myself and this is really heartbreaking for me.” Teschler Said. “I don't want to see it go up at all.”
Permits were unanimously approved for a second tower located at City Hall on Acoma Boulevard.
Both towers will be primarily used by Verizon and will also help improve service for residents as well as police and fire personnel who use the network to answer calls. These towers also have the capacity to accommodate two additional mobile carriers.
Commissioner João Zullo said he thinks this is the perfect location for a cell phone tower.
“This is going to help police reporting. I'm very concerned about that,” Zullo said. “My husband is a former police officer, so he knows what it's like to be out alone in the dark when you need help. It's very scary when your radio stops working.”
The plan will not go before the City Council as usual, as the commission will give final approval to the conditional use permit.
of However, the lease agreement for the two sites is subject to council approval. One of the conditions of the project.
