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Council Hears Plan for T-Mobile Towe
Florissant Supports MO.For Geospatial Agency
By Carol Arnett
The Florissant City Council Monday Night unanimously passed a resolution encouraging the decision to locate the new site for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency Western Headquarters in North St. Louis. Mayor Tom Schneider cited the jobs created as a good reason for the city to support the project.
The council also held a public hearing regarding a request for a special use permit by RF Alternatives, LLC, doing business as Cellective Solutions, LLC to allow for the construction and operation of a telecommunication facility at 837 Dunn Rd. Russell Been spoke for the company.
Been’s company is working with T-Mobile to find a site for a 120 foot telecommunication tower, Been said. He showed a map showing the area of need for the tower. This is a where T-Mobile needs to put the tower. The site chosen is on the property owned by North County Christian School. They are proposing replacing one of the field lights on the soccer field with the tower, Been said.
The tower would be built to support three additional antennas. Been said that there was an existing fenced in area that could be used to store equipment.
“The proposed tower is slightly over double what the existing light pole is,” Been said, referring to the tower’s height. The tower would have reduced setbacks from the property line because it is replacing an existing pole, he said.
Councilman Keith Schildroth asked when the company would like to start construction. “As soon as March,” Been said. The Council president asked about the lights. Been said that they would be positioned exactly the same as they currently are, so the lighting will not change.
Wesley Thomas, a resident, spoke against the tower. “I am adamantly opposed to, and have major and deep concerns about a cell phone tower on school grounds,” he said. He added that he has three children at the school. He said he was concerned that the tower was next to the field, the bleachers, and the tower where game announcers sit.
Thomas said that he had three concerns. The first, he said, was the tower itself. He said that towers have fallen in high winds.
His second concern was the chain link fence surrounding the tower. “Kids climb fences,” he said. “If you attend a soccer game, you will literally be sitting next to the high voltage equipment.” His third concern, he said, was that the tower, standing twice as tall as the light poles, would be an eyesore.
Thomas said he was happy with the school, but if the tower goes through, he may move his children to another school. “If I was looking for a school, and they had a cell phone tower, I would say no,” he said.
Sheryl Dampf, Operations Director at the school, also spoke to the council. She said that part of the reason the school wanted the tower was for the money. She said that the school had been affected by recent economic downturns. She had checked into the safety of the tower, she said, and was satisfied. “If
it’s that windy, no one will be out there,” she said. Schildroth mentioned that there was already a fence surrounding high voltage equipment where the cell phone tower would be. He asked if there was ever a problem with students climbing the fence. She replied that there was not.
The council held a first reading on the bill approving the tower.
In other action, the council approved a request to transfer a special use permit from Phat Boys BBQ, LLC, to Sho-Mo BBQ, LLC. The restaurant is located at 300 St. Ferdinand. Phat Boys recently closed. Jeremy Mitchell said he wanted to open Sho-Mo in the space because it was already set up for a barbecue restaurant. He added that he did not plan on changing the space. He plans on being open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10-30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
