Petersburg residents press Title Networks on tower siting, safety and transparency; assembly seeks answers Monday

Dozens of Petersburg residents urged the Petersburg Borough Assembly to press Title Networks for clearer plans, studies and alternative siting after the company proposed multiple new wireless towers in and near town.

Residents said the key issues are where towers would be sited, whether the project truly serves unserved households, what emergency-response obligations the borough would inherit, and how redacted portions of the Title Networks grant application inform siting decisions. “I drive past probably the largest cell tower with the biggest array of cell antennas in the borough,” one resident said, arguing the borough should “encourage and facilitate infrastructure improvements” where they improve public safety.

Why it matters: residents said towers placed next to daycare centers, the new hospital and the fire station could expose workers and neighbors to prolonged proximity; others argued the service gap is primarily “out the road” and that towers in town duplicate existing coverage from Lindenmuir, Crystal and Hungerford sites. Several speakers also cited the grant funding and application redactions as reasons to demand greater transparency.

Speakers questioned both technical need and long-term costs. Nicole McMurren said she was told at a Title Networks listening session that the company can make use of existing towers and that the plan in town could include three towers; she urged clarity on which dollars would fund ongoing maintenance and whether grant conditions require serving truly unserved households. “They can actually, in fact, make use of existing towers,” McMurren said.

Residents living near Mill Road and Pappke's Landing warned a new tower there would be close to homes. Jackie Tyson said the landing site is "right next to the fire station" and "right across from the hospital," and raised geological stability concerns after reviewing local soil conditions. Tom Kowalski, who lives near the Mill Road mill site, said nearby neighborhoods are becoming residential and warned the tower could depress property values and foreclose future rezoning.

Several speakers questioned whether siting a Title Networks tower outside the borough’s authorized public-safety service area would create an unfunded liability for borough emergency responders. Sarah Holmgren noted the Pappke's Landing region lies outside "service area 1," and said approving a tower there could obligate the borough to respond to incidents it is not funded to serve.

Process and transparency were recurring themes. Becky Knight, joining online, asked the assembly to request an unredacted copy of Title Networks’ application and the specific studies underpinning claims about emissions and demand. Judy Ulmer summarized that the Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to encourage the borough assembly to enter talks with Title Networks about relocating the contested tower site; Ulmer also said Title's grant timeline runs through October 2026 with Title seeking a possible two-year extension.

Broader context and next steps: residents cited planning documents saying Title Networks expects dozens of towers across service areas; one attendee said the application materials estimate 32 towers across service areas, with 25 expected to require full construction. David Beebe, speaking online, framed the debate within national broadband policy and urged the assembly to pause and consider cumulative exposures and local impacts. The assembly asked residents to submit follow-up questions by Monday noon and invited Title Networks to address the raised points at Monday's meeting.

The assembly did not take formal action at the session. Planning and Zoning’s recommendation to ask the assembly to pursue relocation talks was recorded by attendees; the assembly asked Title Networks to respond in the next public meeting so members can follow up on unanswered technical, legal and process questions.