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Residents urge council to block 150‑foot cell tower; council calls public hearing
Summary
Multiple residents told the City Council of Montgomery they oppose a proposed 150‑foot telecommunications monopole near the historic district and residential neighborhoods; the council voted to call a public hearing to receive a presentation and public comment from Communications Tower Group 1 LLC.
Dozens of Montgomery residents urged the City Council on July 14 to deny or further study a proposal to place a 150‑foot telecommunications monopole on city‑owned property at 14765 Liberty Street, saying the structure would mar views of the historic district and set a harmful precedent.
Local homeowners led public comments. Brian O'Neil, introduced as Lone Star State HOA president, said the proposed pole has become “a huge eyesore for us to be able to view, on a daily basis” and expressed concern about visibility from downtown commercial corridors and neighborhood streets. Deanna Goddard Glazer told the council the tower would “permanently desecrate” views, calling the proposal “a 150 foot industrial structure” inappropriate next to the city's historic assets. Jenny Stewart, a former city councilwoman, and Kristen Barker, a Montgomery County resident, urged the council to require exploration of alternative sites, upgrades to existing infrastructure or alternative technologies before approving a new tower.
An additional commenter asked for coverage maps, engineering reports and wildlife and light‑pollution analyses, saying the proposal sits near schools and residential yards and asking the council to “deny the application until alternative analysis has been presented.”
Council members and staff clarified that the meeting vote was to call a public hearing to receive a presentation from Communications Tower Group 1 LLC and public comment, not to approve construction. Councilmember Johnson moved to call the public hearing; the motion was seconded by Councilmember Fox and approved. The hearing will give the applicant an opportunity to present site plans, coverage maps and supporting studies and let residents comment on the record.
Why it matters: The proposed monopole would be highly visible from parts of downtown and nearby neighborhoods; speakers warned that approving a tower in this location could make it harder to protect nearby residential and historic areas from future large infrastructure proposals. The public hearing now scheduled will be the next formal step for the council to hear technical evidence and public testimony before any decision on permits or variances.
Next steps: The council called for a public hearing to allow CTG to present the proposal and receive public comment. Council staff and CTG representatives indicated there is at least one existing monopole elsewhere in the county that has been used as an example; the public hearing will be the venue for the applicant to provide engineering reports, coverage maps and alternative‑site analyses.
