Public hearing held for 169‑foot cell tower near Wisconsin Brewing Company Park; plan commission sent application to council with no recommendation

The Common Council held a public hearing Oct. 21 on a conditional use permit application to construct a 165‑foot monopole cell tower (169 feet overall with lightning rod) at Wisconsin Brewing Company Park, 1011 Blue Ribbon Circle North. The application, from a tower company planning to lease ground at the stadium site, was presented for public input; no council action was scheduled that night.

City planner John Gallo told the council the proposed compound would be approximately 50 by 50 feet, enclosed with fencing and year‑round landscaping. The applicant provided structural certification and a fall‑radius assessment; engineering documents submitted to the city said the fall radius in extreme conditions would be limited to about 30 feet.

The applicant provided simulations and a coverage map showing improved cellular service on I‑94 and nearby commercial areas; Gallo said the plan was “being designed structurally for up to four carriers.” Gallo told the council the tower would not require a constant warning light because it is under the 200‑foot FAA threshold.

Concerns raised at the hearing included the location relative to property setbacks and a recorded “50‑foot building setback” on a deed restriction staff was still reviewing, and questions about how much of the compound foundation would be removed if the tower were decommissioned. The tower company told staff they have contract language with the property owner that would require removal of the foundation down to two feet below surface level at termination; one commissioner asked if the city should require more removal as a permit condition.

Public comment: Lynn Wright, a resident, said she had a personal health concern: “I have a doctor who came to where I work … to tell me the radiation from that … is Chernobyl level radiation,” and asked the council to research health and compensation questions. Wright also asked whether the property owner receives rent and how much they would be paid for hosting the facility.

Plan Commission action: Gallo said the plan commission forwarded the request to the council with no recommendation after a split vote (2 in favor, 2 against, 2 abstentions, 1 absent). Council members did not act that night; staff said outstanding issues — setbacks, recorded easements and final site configuration — will be addressed before any decision is scheduled.