Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Telecommunications topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Developers seek approval for 199-foot cell tower as residents and commissioners question need
Summary
Anaconda Deer Lodge County commissioners heard a developer presentation and extensive public comment about a proposed 199-foot cell tower at 94 Swedish Lane; the commission placed the permit on next weeks agenda after developers cited FAA guidance and the Telecommunications Act of 1996, while residents raised 911, health and property-value concerns.
Anthony Meen, a representative of Meen and Associates speaking for the applicant, presented a request for a major development permit to build a 199-foot self-support cell tower at 94 Swedish Lane and urged the county to act on the application next week. Meen said he provided photos, carrier documentation and "a letter from the FAA stating that lighting is not needed or required on that site," and cited the Telecommunications Act of 1996 as limiting local denials based on health concerns.
The chair and several commissioners pressed Meen on why a new tower is necessary when some residents say coverage is adequate. Meen replied that carrier engineering follows a "honeycomb" grid and that relocating or forcing carriers to share a single tower can create coverage gaps; he said the tower would be built to accept current and future carrier equipment and that which technologies are installed (4G, 5G) is an engineering choice for the carriers.
Public comment was strongly contested. Jessie Sather, who lives near the proposed site and identified herself as related to the property owner, said she submitted photos of nearby properties and described a personal April 2 crash in which the first person at the scene could not get 911 service from the property. "My life was hanging in the balance," Sather said, arguing improved coverage is a safety issue. Other neighbors spoke in opposition, citing potential health risks, aesthetic impacts and possible reductions in home values. Tyson O'Donnell told commissioners, "You put the tower up and who knows what's gonna go on in the future," expressing concern that neighbors would have no say over future equipment placed on the structure.
Commission discussion ended with a procedural step: a commissioner asked to "place [the permit] on the agenda" for next week's meeting so the board can vote. No final decision was made on the permit at this meeting. The county staff noted the county attorney was absent due to illness and that FAA or legal clarifications provided by the attorney could affect the commissions review.
What happens next: the major development permit for the tower will appear on the commissions agenda at the next meeting for a formal vote; commissioners signaled they expect additional review and legal input before acting.
