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Commission authorizes lease for wireless tower on Central Boulevard; vendor warns NEPA, steel lead times
Summary
Hudsonville commissioners voted unanimously to authorize a lease with Wireless Edge Towers 3 LLC to place a wireless tower at 3275 Central Boulevard. Vendor representative Doug Weber said NEPA review is the immediate hurdle and steel lead times could delay construction planned for June–July.
The Hudsonville City Commission on March 10 authorized City Manager R. Tyler Dodson to sign a lease with Wireless Edge Towers 3 LLC that will allow a wireless telecommunication tower at 3275 Central Boulevard. The resolution passed unanimously on a roll-call vote.
Commissioners said the lease is intended to replace an older tower, modernize city communications infrastructure and generate future colocator revenue for the city. During discussion commissioners noted the financial model for collocations and that community concerns were raised in prior meetings; the commission voted to proceed after staff and vendor briefings.
Doug Weber, principal of Urban Wireless Solutions representing Wireless Edge, told the commission the company has already done site due diligence and is pursuing environmental and federal clearances. "When I started my company … this project to me personally is kind of a shining example of exactly what I had hoped for," Weber said, describing the project as a public–private partnership and thanking city staff for collaboration.
Weber outlined a timeline: the project team is completing the NEPA (environmental) review now with expectations that it should be cleared by the end of April; long-lead procurement for tower steel could add several weeks beyond that. He said construction could begin in the June–July window if permitting and material supply go as planned, and that the old tower would be removed shortly after the city’s infrastructure is cut over to the new facility.
Commission discussion emphasized permitting and oversight. Commissioners asked staff about timing, public impacts during construction and revenue-sharing mechanics for collocations. City staff and the vendor said the timing depends on permitting and material availability; staff will return to the commission with permit milestones and a construction start estimate.
The commission passed the resolution by roll call; the clerk recorded unanimous support. Next steps are final permit approvals, NEPA clearance and coordination of an infrastructure cutover plan so service moves from the old tower to the new structure.
