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Waite Hill council refers proposed 155-foot cell tower to Planning & Zoning after attorney raises visual and property concerns
Summary
Council read Ordinance No. 2025-10 to lease village land for a 155-foot monopole and referred the measure to the Planning & Zoning Commission after Attorney Tyler M. Berry warned the proposed tower would be visible above trees, risk reducing property values and lock the village into a long-term lease; a special P&Z meeting was set for May 29.
Waite Hill Mayor Ryan W. Cox and village council on May 12 read Ordinance No. 2025-10, a proposal to authorize the mayor to enter into an option and lease agreement with Northstar Towers II, LLC for construction of wireless telecommunications facilities on village property, and referred the proposal to the Planning & Zoning Commission for further review.
Attorney Tyler M. Berry of Mansour Gavin, LPA, who said he was retained by a concerned resident, addressed council and opposed the plan. "The current plan for a 155 foot monopole is out of harmony with the nature, character, and environment of Waite Hill," Berry said, arguing the pole would be visible above trees from multiple parcels and local institutions and could depress property values. He told council the proposed lease could lock the village into "a tower for up to 40 years, with no control once it is constructed," and urged exploration of alternatives including "stealth installation, small scale antennas, micro antennas, and satellite." (Tyler M. Berry, attorney, Mansour Gavin, LPA.)
Acting Chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission Abby Hiltsley told council the commission will hold a special meeting on May 29, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. specifically to consider the construction of telecommunications facilities on village property; council referred Ordinance No. 2025-10 to that commission for consideration. The ordinance was read for the first time and not adopted at the May 12 meeting.
Police Chief Carl Dondorfer reported at the meeting that the village has seen increased traffic due to a Route 6 bridge closure and described a recent felony arrest on Eagle Road in an area with poor cell coverage, a fact Berry cited in arguing that different technical approaches might better target coverage gaps without erecting a tall monopole. (Carl Dondorfer, Police Chief.)
Council took no final vote on the lease at the May 12 session; the item will resume in the Planning & Zoning Commission process. The commission's May 29 meeting, where the cell-site plan is expected to be discussed in detail, will be open to the public.
