Neighbors and attorney raise safety and First Amendment questions about proposed 80-foot church radio tower

A proposal to install an 80-foot radio tower for Lighthouse Baptist Church near 4525 Garrett Street prompted concerns from neighbors over safety, lighting and visual impacts, while a legal summary presented to listeners explained how courts assess religious-use cases under the First Amendment.

The item was described on Wake Up Missoula as a church proposal in the Moose Can Gully / Lower Miller Creek area. A legal commentator on the program reviewed case law and said courts typically evaluate whether a land-use control imposes a "substantial burden" on religious exercise; outcomes can differ where alternative locations exist. "If you are found to impose a substantial burden on the religious exercise of the institution, you're kinda sunk at that point," the legal summary said.

Tom Labonte, introduced in the transcript as the pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church, explained the ministry’s interest in a broadcast tower to reach people who may not find the church online and to provide 24-hour programming. "As a church, our responsibility is to get the good news...with a radio station, we'll be able to encourage people, 24/7," he said.

Neighbors and residents opposed the location on safety and nuisance grounds. One nearby resident pointed to the tower's required obstruction lighting, saying: "We're gonna see a tower up there, and they have to have a light on top of that because it's 80 feet...that light has to be blinking so the planes don't hit or helicopters or life flight." Another raised lightning-strike and utility-safety concerns given underground gas lines.

The transcript records the presentation and public comment; it does not record a final land-use decision or a council vote on the tower in this session. Staff and the public referenced alternative transmission options such as using internet streaming or microwave relays from existing municipal rooftops.