FLEMINGSBURG — A public hearing regarding the construction of two cell towers drew some debate between the public and the Flemingsburg-Fleming County Planning Commission earlier this week.
A continuation of a previous public hearing held by the planning commission was held Monday evening, where discussion about the cell tower construction for AT&T resumed. Speaking at the hearing was attorney Erica Stegman, representing SBA Communications, attorney Jacob Walbourn, representing Tillman Infrastructure, the company which will construct the towers, and the public.
According to Commission Chair Laura Mitchell, who read from a letter submitted by AT&T, the current towers built by SBA Communications have proven “economically burdensome for AT&T, and would not result in the same cost effective operations as compared to what AT&T could achieve if relocated on to the local Tillman tower.”
With the construction of these new towers, the letter further reads that AT&T would be better positioned to invest in other new towers to improve coverage. One of the towers would be built near Redbud Road while the other would be near Johnson Creek Road.
Already in those areas are two other cell towers, put in place by SBA Communications. In opposition to the towers’ construction, Stegman questioned the benefit to the community this project would serve.
“SBA is already providing what Tillman wants to provide here. Putting a new cell tower within a half a mile of an existing tower doesn’t increase service for the community,” she said. “The radio frequency maps that I provided you guys with last time show that. This is a rent game for AT&T, it’s not just happening in Fleming County it’s happening all over the country.”
Stegman also brought to the attention of the commission that Tillman had allegedly failed to properly notify nearby residents of the construction, as well as placing signage whose size is smaller than the mandated dimensions detailed by ordinance.
Ron Spencer, who lives on Redbud Road, said he had never received notification about the towers’ construction nor was he able to read the sign posted on the possible site.
“I passed the sign every day, never knew what it said because it was unreadable from the road,” he said. “I wasn’t aware until they started digging that there was even a cell tower coming in. It will be within 1,000 feet of my house, and what I’ve read in research after I found out in the last week that’s not something I want within 1,000 feet of my house.”
Commissioner Steve Donovan after hearing from both sides of the issue, said he has no qualms with Tillman building the towers, so long as they are following guidelines and fix issues that lie outside of those guidelines.
“If they meet all the guidelines and they fill every obligation that legally allows them to do that, I don’t care if it’s a rent thing from one tower to the other. That’s called the American way,” he said.
Shortly after, the commission concluded the hearing and moved straight to its special meeting, where they would make a decision on the cell tower project. After some deliberation, Commissioner Jewett Hyatt made a motion to accept AT&T and Tillman’s request to build the cell towers, which was seconded by Donovan.
All commissioners voted in favor of the motion, except Commissioner Mary Hopper, who voted against.
