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County commissioners will spend the next 90 days deciding how to approach the proliferation of wireless communication towers.
By ALISA ULFERTS
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 18, 2001
DADE CITY -- It didn't take county commissioners long to decide they needed some time.
After about 40 minutes of discussion, commissioners voted 5-0 Wednesday to stop issuing permits for cellular towers for the next 90 days. The move is intended to give them time to review their phone tower ordinance and their consulting engineer time to thoroughly review the tower applications submitted to the county.
But commissioners went one step further: They want County Administrator John Gallagher to explore options for earning money by allowing towers on county property.
"I think maybe it's time that the county start getting into the cell tower business," Commissioner Ann Hildebrand said. The county could allow the towers on county property near parks and libraries, which then could use the rent money from the towers for their programs, Hildebrand said.
Gallagher said his staff floated that idea several years ago, but said there was little interest among board members.
"I appreciate this board's thinking differently," Gallagher said.
Concerned with the more than 30 tower sites already dotting Pasco's skyline, commissioners began discussing a possible temporary moratorium late last year. They wanted to hire an expert in the interim to evaluate the tower companies' claims that a transmitter was needed at a particular site, and they wanted to tweak their own tower ordinance, which they say is vague in areas.
A recent Times analysis showed that roughly two-thirds of Pasco's population can see a phone tower from their yards, even though some might have to look around a tree or building.
Although she voted for the measure after discussion turned to the county profiting from the towers, Hildebrand said the day before the hearing that she doubted much could be done in 90 days. The county chewed up more than two months just getting the moratorium passed.
Another surprise vote in favor of the moratorium came from Commissioner Peter Altman, who said Tuesday that he'd likely vote against it. But he, too, appeared swayed by the idea of earning some money by placing the towers on county land and went along with the temporary ban on tower permits. Commissioners exempted the handful of applications already submitted but not yet approved by the county.
In addition to tightening the rules spelling out when a cellular company must place its transmitter on a nearby tower rather than erect another, commissioners want towers to look less like towers and more like their surroundings.
"I don't think a sparrow is going to think it's a tree, but it's certainly more acceptable" to humans, Commission Chairman Steve Simon said, holding up a picture of a tower disguised as a tree.
New Port Richey resident Raymond Hartinger, who worked for the telecommunications industry for 40 years and oversaw the placement of towers in New Jersey, urged commissioners to approve the moratorium.
"The lovely, gentle countryside is getting more and more cluttered with these ugly things called cell towers," Hartinger said.
In other action Wednesday, commissioners declined Altman's request to fund authentic American Indian cultural events at the annual Chasco Fiesta. But they are willing to discuss during one of their roundtable sessions how the county generally can support cultural events.
The American Indian Movement has called for a boycott of the festival, saying it is racist and insulting to American Indians. Two representatives from the movement on Wednesday urged commissioners not to finance the festival, but encouraged them to find different ways to support American Indian culture in Pasco.
- Tamara Lush is the police reporter in Pasco County. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6245 or (800) 333-7505, ext. 6245. Her e-mail address is href=mailto:lush@sptimes.com>lush@sptimes.com.