Community Corner
City Council Pushes Forward Plan For 'Small Cell Towers' In Oxford
Small cell towers are one step closer to appearing in Oxford after City Council's meeting on Tuesday night.
BY MARIAH SCHLOSSMANN
Miami University journalism student
Oxford City Council on Tuesday night voted 7-0 to change Oxford law to allow for small cell towers.
According to a Sept. 27 memo from Jung-Han Chen, director of community development, Oxford adopted its original cell tower ordinance in 2003. At that time, small cell towers were not an idea that had been conceived. Because of the high usage of data in Oxford and developments in technology, this ordinance needs to be updated.
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Under the updated ordinance, small towers will be permitted in public right-of-way sites. Right-of-ways are public land that include paved travel lanes, curbs, tree lawns and sidewalks.
"Right-of-way locations are preferred for many different reasons,” Chen said at the Tuesday meeting. “The height of the small cell tower of 35 feet is similar to that of a light pole. It will be easier to regulate the towers at these locations, and there are already many utilities that already exist in these areas.”
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Additionally, the towers will be located where a high concentration of users are located, making Uptown Oxford and residential areas the most beneficial sites.
Companies will have to apply to install small cell towers in Oxford, which Chen noted is something that Miami has already been approached about.
In other business, Council on Tuesday discussed conducting a housing study of Oxford.
Affordable housing is a frequent topic at public meetings, according to Council member Steve Dana.
“A housing study would allow us to explore housing at every level and find out what the true needs of housing in Oxford are,” said Dana.
The Housing Advisory Commission (HAC) of Oxford has a fund that could be used to potentially supply aid to the eventual housing study.
In a voice vote conducted by Mayor Kate Rousmaniere, Council members indicated their support of using Housing Advisory Commission dollars to fund a study.
Photo: City Council meets at the Oxford Courthouse every other Tuesday night. -- Photo by Mariah Schlossmann