Proposed cell tower passes commission
By ANDREW POTTER, TIMES-REPUBLICANThe Marshalltown City Plan & Zoning Commission voted to take the next step in allowing U.S. Cellular to install a cell phone tower at the Marshalltown High School football field in its meeting Thursday.
The commission voted 3-0 with one abstention to recommend approval of the project which now will go to the Board of Adjustment meeting at 5 p.m. Dec 2, which is the last step needed.
"The Board of Adjustment will make an up or down approval or denial," said Stephen Troskey, city planner.
Troskey noted about 30 residents showed up at the meeting Thursday with about a half dozen talking about their concerns about the project.
"They had concerns about several issues regarding aesthetics and property values," he said.
One of the biggest community concerns was the possible health effects of a tower but Troskey said the FCC Telecommunications Act of 1996 forbade that issue from being discussed or factoring into a decision. Troskey said City Attorney Roger Nowadsky advised them to not get into a health concern discussion because it would be in violation of the law.
Marshalltown Superintendent Dr. Marvin Wade was one of those who spoke in favor of the project which would net the school district more than $500,000 from U.S. Cellular over the course of the next 20 years.
The tower would be located inside a light pole at the football field which is directly behind the press box. Its installation was approved by the Marshalltown Board of Education Nov. 3.
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Contact Andrew Potter at 641-753-6611 or apotter@timesrepublican.com
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Mongo1
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11-22-08 11:53 PM
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how much more unsafe is this location vs the location next to the Vacum store? Idiots!! You should see the big cell tower in the school yard at Bondurant!
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herkeye
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11-22-08 10:23 AM
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GREED got this approved...I don't care what you say. Don't think this was approved for better cell reception...its all about the money, period! So at the end of the 20 years when the effects of the tower start to show up in your kids health...remember it was worth it for the money. Put a tower up anywhere...just not here. This is a BAD decision. How dumb are you people that only think about money? Has the past not taught you anything? Maybe if enough people don't go to the High School games they will take it down.
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MtownGuy
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11-22-08 9:26 AM
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I knew it would happen.... even on the simple proposal to install a cell phone tower, the naysayers, whiners and complainers found something else to bellyache about. Oh, the sky is falling again!! Get a life, people.
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