William Street cellphone tower receives first-round approval

Several downtown residents and proponents of historic preservation voiced their opposition to placement of a 140-foot tall AT&T cellphone tower on William Street during Monday night's city council meeting, but a first-round approval moved through as proposed.

The initial reading of an ordinance that will grant a special use permit to AT&T for the tower passed 5-1, with council members Wayne Bowen, Meg Davis, Mark Lanzotti, Mayor Harry Rediger and Trent Summers voting in favor. Councilwoman Loretta Schneider voted "no," and Councilman John Voss was absent from the meeting.

Chuck Ross, president of the Old St. Vincent's Church Council, was among a group opposed to allowing the tower to be built. He said there are concerns the tower will compromise work already done to improve the look of the area.

"A lot of time and effort has been put into beautification of downtown, Broadway and Main Street, and I fail to see where this tower structure is going to be part of the beautification," he said.

AT&T and supporters of a new tower say better cellphone service will be available in the downtown area once the tower is completed.

Bill Anderson, who owns local radio station KWKZ 106.1, said a way the lack of cellphone service can affect businesses is that calls can be missed -- in the case of his station -- by those working on advertising deals if a representative happens to be downtown where there is no service. Anderson also encouraged an idea for the tower that would involve placing a large Missouri flag at its top, since Cape Girardeau is the birthplace of the state flag.

Opponents also said they are not opposed to improving cellphone coverage downtown, but would rather see alternatives to the tower.

Schneider, the one dissenting council member, said she was opposed to the tower for several reasons, including the possible detriment to the visual aesthetics of the city's historic districts, but most importantly, she has concerns about health risks cellphone towers could pose.

"My main concern is the electromagnetic field these towers put off constantly," Schneider said, noting that there are several playgrounds within a short distance of the proposed build site. "Yes, we need it," she said. "But this is not the location for it."

Tom O'Loughlin, an attorney representing the property owner of the land where the tower could be built, brought letters of support for better cellphone service from more than 50 local business owners to the council meeting, and left them with the council.

As proposed, the tower would be painted a color to blend in with the sky. A small equipment shelter, built with materials designed to make it blend in with surrounding buildings also would be built, surrounded by a chain-link fence with black vinyl.

Marsha Haskell, regional director for AT&T Missouri, said she hoped changes the company had discussed with those opposed would help with concerns, but that neither adding a flag to the pole nor changing its color were acceptable options for them.

"The only viable solution the group was really willing to entertain was to move the facility someplace else or deploy technology that are technically and economically nonfeasible options," Haskell said. "So I ask that this committee, and this council, consider the future needs of Cape Girardeau."

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.

418 William St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.