The Show Low Planning and Zoning Commission approved a conditional use permit for a Verizon cell site at 1850 South White Mountain Road on Jan. 14, 2025, voting unanimously on a voice vote after staff recommended approval.

The permit, submitted by Linda Grice of Young Design Group on behalf of Verizon Wireless, authorizes a disguised “monopine” tower at the White Mountain Theater parcel (APN 210-32-032). Director Togaskis told the commission the proposed tower location meets setback, separation and fall-zone requirements in the city code and that required notices and transmittal memos were sent to agencies and property owners.

Staff said the engineered fall zone for the tower is 65 feet, which under the city’s 125% fall-zone setback requirement results in a required setback of roughly 81 feet to any adjoining lot line; the proposal exceeds that minimum. Staff measured the nearest existing tower at about 1,800 feet from the proposed site and noted the city’s minimum separation requirement between towers is 1,500 feet. The site plan submitted to staff shows the monopine sited near the rear parking area at the base of a slope behind the theater rather than on the slope itself, with the theater’s base elevation and the proposed tower base both at about 6,390 feet above sea level.

Why it matters: commissioners and staff framed the decision as a code-compliance determination tied to service coverage. Multiple residents told the commission they worry about visual impacts, property values and possible health effects from radio-frequency emissions; staff and the applicant described how the carrier modeled local coverage gaps and why the submitted site was chosen after evaluating other locations.

Applicant and staff statements

Linda Grice, the applicant’s representative, explained the carrier’s site-selection and coverage modeling process and said the tower is intended to close coverage gaps in the area. “Yes it should. That's the intent is to cover that area,” Grice said when asked whether the monopine would reduce dropped calls along the segment of U.S. 260 near the theater. Grice described the monopine design as painted a natural pine-bark color with faux branches about 12–13 feet long, and said the submitted plan shows no lighting on the tower and that the installation would comply with FAA and FCC requirements prior to construction.

Director Togaskis clarified required public-notice and setback procedures. He said property owners within 300 feet were mailed notice at least 10 days before the hearing and that staff re-posted a public notice sign on the theater parcel after it was found knocked over. Using aerial measurements, he told the commission that one nearby home is “approximately 300 feet from the cell tower proposed location” and that another home that addressed the commission measures about 450 feet from the proposed site. He also said the distance from the proposed tower to the Pine Oaks subdivision boundary is about 375 feet.

Public comment and concerns

Several nearby residents spoke in opposition during the meeting. Keith Johnson, who identified himself as town manager for Pinetop-Lakeside and a Pine Oaks neighbor, said the top of the proposed tower would be at roughly 6,500 feet and described his home as being “only a few hundred feet away, right in the line of sight.” He urged the commission to scrutinize the applicant’s alternative-site analysis, saying past applicants’ evaluations can be “boilerplate.”

Elise Kempton, who said her home is near the site, read a written statement laying out concerns about zoning compatibility, aesthetics, construction impacts, and health risks tied to electromagnetic fields. Her letter said residents believe notice and community engagement were insufficient and urged the commission to deny the permit. Zach Jackson, another resident, said he had seen coverage improve in recent years at his address and asked the commission to review what alternative sites were considered.

Grice and the commission addressed safety and security questions from commissioners about fencing, landscaping and physical protections. Grice said the monopine will have bollards at its base and that the faux branches are a soft composite intended to limit climbing; she said the equipment compound would be fenced and shielded by four feet of landscaping shown on conceptual plans, although final landscaping will be reviewed at permitting.

Health and radio-frequency questions

Commissioners and residents raised health concerns. Grice told the commission that, in terms of radio-frequency exposure, “The power at your cell phone is over a thousand times more than what I'm transmitting at the top,” and explained carriers monitor and limit emissions to remain within FCC limits. Director Togaskis said the city’s regulatory review does not allow health effects to be a basis for denial under federal law, and he deferred technical radiation questions to the applicant and federal regulators.

Commission action and next steps

Commissioner Hatch moved to approve the conditional use permit (CUP60204268) as submitted by Linda Grice of Young Design Group on behalf of Verizon Wireless, subject to staff recommendations; Vice Chair Roberts seconded. The commission approved the permit on a unanimous voice vote. Director Togaskis advised the commission that the permit will become effective unless an appeal is filed with the city clerk within seven days.

Votes at a glance

• CUP60204268 (Verizon Wireless / Young Design Group) — Motion to approve subject to staff recommendations; mover: Commissioner Hatch; second: Vice Chair Roberts. Approved unanimously (voice vote). No individual roll-call tallies were recorded in the public minutes.

What remains to be decided: If no appeal is filed within seven days the conditional use permit will proceed to the construction-permit stage, at which point the applicant must submit construction drawings demonstrating compliance with building permits, required landscaping around the equipment enclosure, FAA and FCC requirements, and any additional conditions the city required in its approval. The commission did not identify additional conditions beyond staff recommendations during the hearing.