Huntley Not a Fan of Cell Tower Plan

Dean and Mill street neighbors came to village hall Thursday night ready to oppose the idea of a 175 foot tall cellular phone tower but found trustees weren’t thrilled with the concept either.

“The aesthetics are not conducive to the area,” Trustee ee John Piwko said. “A 175 foot tall tower is going to be visible everywhere. I don’t think it’s a good place for a cell tower. There are other places in town that are easier to sell instead of here.”

“I can’t support this, I’m sorry,” Piwko said.

SBA Towers II is asking the village to grant variances so it can build the cell tower. SPB representative Richard Connor Riley said the company would build the tower to provide coverage and capacity for Sprint, U.S. Cellular and T-Mobile.

The tower, however, would require a special use permit and variances. It would be located south on an 8,256 square foot parcel east of the railroad crossing on Mill Street.

Considerations when granting those types of permits include: the proposal has no undue adverse impact, adequate public facilities, and no undue traffic congestion, Village Manager Dave Johnson said.

Last week, Planning Commission rejected the plan, Johnson said. The commission “did not believe the cell tower facility would benefit the village or neighboring property owners in any measurable way,” he said.

Resident Pat Rechsteiner said she felt it had no place in the neighborhood. “This is not something I want to look at or something my neighbors have to endure,” she said.

Riley tried to present the board with additional information, including how the number of mobile units sold last year was 10 billion and the anticipated increase in five years is six times that figure.

“I can guarantee wireless facilities are going to be on your agenda again and again,” he said.

Johnson said later that the board was not saying no to a tower and would consider a proposal for a different location.

“We are not opposed to it if they get a good spot. The location they picked is not the right one,” Mayor Charles Sass said.

However, after the meeting, Riley said locations are picked based on a grid that the companies don’t necessarily control.

Riley said cell towers were located eight miles apart back 30 years ago in some places and are now located 350 feet apart in some area.

The issue in the city is capacity and the issue in suburbs like Huntley is coverage, he said. Cell phone providers need to put up more cell towers to meet the increase use of items like smartphones, Riley said.

Riley did not make any points with the board or the residents gathered at Thursday’s meeting.

“It does not fit in with our downtown revitalization plans at all,” Trustee Pam Fender said. “We make these rules for a reason and this breaks too many of them.”

“I think you guys are right on target,” one resident said of the board members’ comments.