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Commission approves Evergy monopole at Metropolitan and Nettleton despite residents’ concerns about visual impact
Summary
The commission approved special-use permit SUP0324 for an Evergy monopole at 13100 Metropolitan Ave. Residents called the site the city’s 'front door' and raised concerns about height and visibility; Evergy's consultant said the monopole is needed for private LTE operations and will meet conditional requirements.
The Bonner Springs Planning Commission on Nov. 19 approved special-use permit SUP0324, allowing Evergy to build a monopole communications tower at 13100 Metropolitan Avenue, the corner of Metropolitan and Nettleton.
Residents who spoke at the public hearing objected to the site’s prominent location. Rod Phillips told the commission the proposed monopole sits at the city’s “front door,” described visible drilling on the lot and raised height concerns — a 120-foot tower with antennas that could extend to roughly 137 feet. Guy Tyner, a nearby property owner, asked the commission to pause or reconsider the siting so the tower could be repositioned or redesigned to be less prominent.
No Evergy representative attended the meeting; Larry Lauck of Selective Site Consultants spoke for the applicant. Lauck said the facility is a private Evergy communications site (part of a private LTE network for operations, safety and security) and that the proposed monopole is shorter than many existing towers in the area. He said the site was chosen to fill coverage gaps and that the applicant agreed to meet the conditional development standards and staff stipulations.
Commissioners discussed screening and landscape requirements at the tower base, tree heights near the site, and that the applicant will need to submit a site and landscape plan. After discussion the commission approved the special-use permit on a roll-call vote, 7–0.
The public hearing was opened at 6:53 p.m. and closed at 7:05 p.m.; the approval includes the requirement that the applicant meet the city's conditional development standards and submit site/landscape permits as required.
