Following lengthy conversations with representatives of T-Mobile, the Howell Zoning Board of Adjustment and a nearby neighborhood, the pastor of Christ Church, Oak Glen Road, Howell, said there are no plans at this point to begin construction of an approved 120-foot-tall monopole cellular communications tower on the church’s property.
T-Mobile was approved for use, height and impervious coverage variances by a 5-2 vote of the zoning board in August 2012. A use variance was needed by the applicant because a cell tower is not a permitted use on the church property.
In reviewing the history of the issue, Pastor Bryan Attinson told Greater Media Newspapers he received a letter from T-Mobile almost five years ago. Representatives from the company said the telecommunications provider would seek approval for the cell tower to address coverage gaps on the nearby Interstate 195 corridor.
“[T-Mobile] talked about the financial benefits to the church, the community, the 911 system and the ability to use the tower to triangulate the location of someone who was in trouble,” Attinson said.
Christ Church’s six pastors were not convinced the cell tower would bring any benefit until they brought the issue before the church’s board of directors, who spotlighted the financial benefits of a property lease with the service provider.
The board of directors agreed that a monopole designed to look like a tree would not be an eyesore for the church or its neighbors.
“Once we agreed upon the lease and it was put to the zoning board, we received a lot of negative feedback from the community, but we were already tied into a 30-year lease,” Attinson said.
According to Attinson, residents told him they were concerned about the potential health risks associated with radio waves emitted by the cell tower, the effect of the tower on their property values, and the fact that the tower would be so conspicuous in the neighborhood.
During public hearings on the T-Mobile application, residents retained an attorney who argued against the approval of the cell tower. In the end, the zoning board approved the use variance T-Mobile had requested, paving the way for the construction of the tower.
Taking into consideration the welfare of the surrounding neighborhood, Christ Church officials eventually found a way out of the 30-year lease when the zoning board would only approve the use of a regular monopole, and not a so-called stealth tower (designed to look like a tree).
During the hearings, zoning board members opined that stealth monopoles look artificial and could draw more attention to the T-Mobile cell tower instead of camouflaging its presence on the church property.
“That [a regular monopole] did not fit into the agreed-upon plan and was no longer in line with our vision and values as a church, even with the proposition of a considerable amount of more money,” Attinson said. “[T-Mobile] reached out to me six to eight weeks ago and we once again affirmed that it was non-negotiable as far as we were concerned that a tower will not be built on the property.”