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Menomonie Airport Commission backs Letter of No Objection for proposed 133-foot cell tower and approves hangar lease transfer
Summary
At its March 18 meeting the Menomonie Airport Commission unanimously directed staff to provide a Letter of No Objection to Dunn County for a proposed 133-foot Vertical Bridge tower contingent on adding obstruction lighting, and approved a hangar lease with R&R Memorial, LLC for Parcel N contingent on termination of Ross Nelson’s lease.
The Menomonie Airport Commission voted unanimously on March 18 to direct city staff to send a Letter of No Objection to the Dunn County Planning and Zoning Department for Vertical Bridge’s revised plans for a 133-foot cell tower, provided the tower include obstruction lighting, and to approve a hangar lease transfer for Parcel N to R&R Memorial, LLC contingent on termination of the existing Ross Nelson lease.
Why it matters: The commission’s approvals clear two key local hurdles for the proposed tower and for a change of hangar ownership at the Menomonie Airport. The lighting condition reflects a local safety concern that the commission required even though a meeting participant said it was not mandated by FAA rules.
David Schofield presented Vertical Bridge’s revised tower plans, describing the site as the south side of 730th Avenue in the NE¼ of the NW¼ of Section 5, Township 28 North, Range 12 West. Chairman Dr. Dan Johnson asked whether the proposed tower would include obstruction lighting. Blair Ransom (virtual) responded, “it did not and was not required to by FAA regulations.” Despite that statement, Commissioner Randy Sommerfeld moved — seconded by Kerry McCauley — to direct staff to provide a Letter of No Objection to the county conditioned on the addition of obstruction lighting; the motion carried unanimously.
On the airport property issue, Schofield told the commission that the estate of Ross Nelson proposed to sell the hangar on Parcel N to Zach Shaha and Casey Delanghe, who have formed R&R Memorial, LLC. Commissioner Earl Wildenberg moved, seconded by Steven Lee, to approve the Hangar Area Lease with R&R Memorial, LLC for Parcel N as presented, contingent upon termination of the existing Hangar Area Lease with Ross Nelson dated January 17, 2020; the commission approved the motion unanimously. Wildenberg then moved, seconded by Kerry McCauley, to approve termination of Ross Nelson’s Parcel N lease (dated January 17, 2020); that motion also carried unanimously.
The decisions in Menomonie do not, by themselves, authorize construction or transfer of ownership: Dunn County land-use approval and completion of lease-termination steps are required. Schofield also noted the commission’s next tentative meeting date as May 13, 2026.
No individual roll-call vote counts were recorded in the minutes; the minutes state each motion “carried unanimously.”
