Residents urge county and school board to reject Verizon tower sites near Pinion Hills and high school

Several dozen residents told the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners on March 12 they oppose two proposed Verizon telecommunication facilities, saying company analyses and siting choices are incomplete and that alternatives were not adequately considered.

Speakers representing a local group, Minden for Safe Technology, and several longtime area residents repeated technical and neighborhood concerns and said they have prepared alternative locations, engineering analyses and legal input ahead of appeals. The planning commission previously denied the Station 14 proposal and approved Station 6; speakers said both those decisions are on appeal with hearings set for April 3.

“The school district has been steadily in decline since 1990,” said Greg Roltson, identifying himself as a Mindontown resident, arguing that a tower near the high school could prompt parents to withdraw students and harm district revenue. “Even if you reduce 30 students out of that list… that's gonna be a decline of over $300,000 to the school district in student…