Woodland Park council approves taller communications tower at Trout Creek Road

Woodland Park’s City Council on July 17 unanimously approved Ordinance 14-98, Series 2025, granting Core Electric Cooperative a special-use permit to replace an existing 63-foot lattice communications tower with a new 120-foot lattice tower (130 feet to the top of appurtenances) at 5955 Trout Creek Road in the city’s agricultural zone.

City planning staff told the council the replacement is intended to restore and improve microwave communications that are increasingly blocked by tree growth since the original tower was built in 1984. CJ Gates, city planning staff, said the taller tower would support Core Electric’s grid communications, two‑way radio for service crews and emergency-use systems used by local public-safety partners. "Staff's recommendation is to approve Ordinance 14-98, Series 2025, as presented," Gates said during the public hearing.

The ordinance was the subject of a public hearing and came to council with a unanimous recommendation from the Planning Commission. The council-approved permit includes conditions requiring: a signed report from a qualified radio‑frequency engineer (already submitted), affidavits holding the owner and applicant responsible for removal…