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Hearings Held in Hazelwood on U.S. Cellular Tower, Academy Expansion
BY JEANETTE EBERLIN-RIZZELLO
After public hearings on two major projects the Hazelwood City Council has ordered the petitioners to provide much more information before second readings of the bills.
At the city council meeting last week first readings were given to two bills: for U. S. Cellular Corporation’s request for a special land use permit for a stealth cross telecommunications transmission tower at 121 Williams Blvd. and Alphabet Soup Academy’s request to expand students’ages from 2 year olds to eighth grade. Alphabet Soup also wants to add adult literacy classes at night at their school at 8390 Latty Ave.
Speaking for the request for the telecommunications tower, William Jenkins, representing U. S. Cellular, had provided the council with information that had been requested by the City Plan Commission; the commission had denied the proposal.
Jenkins told the council the planned 100-ft tower, which has a stealth cross design, would be located on the property of the Community Christ Fellowship church, on the parking lot behind the church’s youth center building.
He said a study had been provided describing the fall zone of the tower and declaring it safe for the people visiting the church and residences surrounding the site. He also had given the council information that the plans meet the height requirements and other items required by the FAA.
Bert Stuart, also representing the petitioner said, “You don’t want a dead area in your city. Nowadays we have a society that chooses to communicate by cell phone. Think of the safety of persons who might break down on the highways, or people who need to call 911 as soon as possible. Ask your police, it’s a safety factor.”
Jenkins produced a petition that had been circulated to residents surrounding the area in favor of the project. Pastor of the church the Rev. Paul Butler said after the meeting, “I signed it and the area residents did because it will be good for the community.”
Only one person spoke out at the public potion of the meeting – E. J. Littell, who owns a farm on Teson Road . U.S. Cellular has a tower in the vicinity of his residence and his complaint was about the noise coming from the generator serving the tower.
“They’re not a good neighbor,” he said, “and when their workers come to service the tower they go right across my front yard.”
Stacey Adams, project manager for the firm, told the council, “This breaks my heart, tomorrow I will visit the Littells and I will check out his concerns. And she did. Friday handling all the complaints of the Littells; we are sincerely concerned about their complaints and will have them completed by the end of this month.”
Speaking for Alphabet Soup Academy at the public hearing were owners Walter and Janet Strickland. The campus is located at the site of the former St. Bartholomew Catholic Church and school with a cafeteria, and separate convent and rectory buildings.
A special land use permit had been approved by the City Plan Commission to change the school and child care hours from 6 a.m.-6:30 p.m., to 6 a.m-10 p.m. The change in hours was to accommodate the adult literacy class.
City Attorney Kevin O’Keefe advised the Stricklands that they will need to return before the Plan Commission for a special land use permit for the rectory building. Approval had been given to the plans but the permit only applied to the school building.
