Lake Forest council acknowledges wireless coverage gaps, directs plan commission to revisit zoning for a tower

The Lake Forest City Council on July 7 accepted an engineering report finding a notable deficiency in wireless coverage in the vicinity of Everett Road and Waukegan Road and directed the plan commission to reconsider a zoning code amendment that could identify permitted locations for a telecommunications monopole within the study area.

The report, presented by Adam Parrish of Kimley Horn, a national engineering consultant, found weak signals from all major carriers in the circled area near Everett and Waukegan, describing measured power in the 110–120 dBm range — which Parrish said corresponds to “poor to no recognized signal.” Parrish told the council that “you can’t always trust the bars on your phone” and that the firm’s drive tests and coverage maps showed a clear coverage gap that strains the surrounding network.

Why it matters: Council members and many residents said the gap causes daily dropped calls and can affect emergency response, businesses and residents’ ability to communicate. After more than an hour of public comment — with speakers both urging action and questioning process and health concerns — the council voted to accept the report and ask the plan commission to revisit zoning that could allow a monopole or stealth tower in the consultant’s search ring.

The consultant recommended locating a ground-based monopole (typical heights discussed were about 150 feet if multiple carriers collocate) at an available private site within the search ring; Parrish noted monopoles typically need roughly a 50-by-50-foot ground footprint and suggested the city consider increasing the minimum ground-space allowance in the code from 300 to about 2,500 square feet to support multi-carrier installations.

Council action and next steps: The council approved a motion to accept the Kimley Horn report, acknowledge the coverage deficiency near Everett and Waukegan, and direct the plan commission to reconsider a code amendment identifying one or more permitted locations for a telecommunications monopole or stealth tower within the consultant’s search ring. The motion passed 6–0 with one abstention (Alderman Lavert abstained). The same council later waived first reading and granted final approval to amend section 159.154 (Personal Wireless Service Facilities overlay district) to designate a portion of the compost center (1381 Kennedy Road) as a permitted location for a tower; that ordinance passed 6–0 with one abstention (Alderman Lavert, who again abstained for stated reasons).

Public comment and process concerns: Dozens of residents spoke. Supporters said poor service affects safety and daily life; opponents raised concerns about aesthetics, tower height, alternative technical approaches and potential vendor conflicts. Resident Katie May filed a formal ethics complaint during the meeting alleging an undisclosed industry affiliation by the presenter; the city attorney responded that vendors are not covered by the city’s ethics ordinance and that outside affiliations may be considered by council but do not automatically constitute an ethics violation. City staff and the attorney also emphasized that federal law preempts local regulation of RF emissions, and therefore health-and-safety arguments based on emissions cannot lawfully be the basis for a zoning decision.

What the ordinance change does and does not do: Amending the overlay district to include the compost center does not itself build a tower or guarantee a carrier will invest. City staff noted carriers must decide to invest and that any specific tower proposal would still require the usual studies, lease negotiations, permitting and compliance with federal and local rules. City staff and the consultant said adding capacity in the network and/or relocating carriers to a new tower could change the coverage maps and should be followed by updated drive-testing and analysis.

Quotes: “You can’t always trust the bars on your phone,” consultant Adam Parrish said while explaining how drive-test dBm readings relate to user experience. Resident Joe Weiss said improving coverage is “essential,” adding that poor signal “can stand in the way of life‑saving care.”

What to watch: The plan commission will reconsider a code amendment as directed by council; any subsequent applicant proposing a tower would still be required to demonstrate compliance with all applicable studies and regulations before approval.