A proposal to place a cell tower on city-owned property has been squashed. The measure, introduced at the December 3 City Council meeting, ended with the legislation being withdrawn at the February 18 City Council Meeting by Council President Paul Marnecheck.
The proposal for a lease agreement with the city was brought to City Hall in December by Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless. The proposal would have placed a 105-foot tower at the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant B, located at 11355 Sprague Road. The tower was requested at that location to more efficiently offer network coverage. Legislation was introduced by Marnecheck, Ward 4 Councilman at the time, during the December 3 meeting and was forwarded to the Planning Commission.
A public hearing in the Planning Commission was held on December 4, where several residents, who mainly resided in the nearby Cedar Estates development, spoke out against the tower. Complaints included how the tower would impact their property values, questions about how it may affect health and the overall aesthetics were voiced. Residents also recommended alternate locations, such as co-locating at the existing Albion tower, Timber Ridge Plaza area, or the soon-to-be constructed OMNI Senior Living Community. Former Mayor Bob Stefanik inquired about the possibility of them co-located to the existing towers at the German Central location on York Road. Former Council President and Planning Commission Chairman, Larry Antoskiewicz, noted that his concern would be why those other locations wouldn’t be viable options.
Nathan Meyer, PBM Wireless Services LLC, who was representing Verizon Wireless, then stated that they were not aware of the other options. He said that they would review as to their feasibility. North Royalton Building Commissioner Dan Kulchytsky was to provide them with a complete list of all existing towers in the city. The matter was then tabled until February.
At the Planning Commission’s February 5 meeting, the proposal was denied. Marnecheck noted that “after numerous public meetings which resulted in fact gathering and public comment, and the Planning Commission’s denial of the conditional use and preliminary site plan rendered on February 5, 2020, I hereby withdraw my sponsorship of the pending lease legislation, as the only remaining sponsor.” He explained that when a proposed lease is given to the city, it goes to the Council committee for discussion. “The Mayor brought it to us and we gave residents the opportunity to weigh in. We went through public hearings and had plenty of time. Ward 1 Council Jessica Fenos and I met with residents. It was definitely well known.” On his withdrawal of the legislation, he noted that “I no longer felt it was a good deal. I thought the conversation was thorough and robust and so I withdrew sponsorship.”
By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer