Want more stories like this focused on your neighborhood? Become a member and support local news.
A 149-foot cell phone tower proposed for Mendota Heights’ Wentworth Park will come back to the Planning Commission with a revised plan and a second public hearing on July 28.
At issue: The proposed tower hopes to address a cell phone service gap in the area, which can cause problems for residents in emergencies. However, a number of residents are concerned about the height of the tower and placement in a public park.
What’s new: The updated proposal offers a “monopine” version that disguises the tower as a pine tree. This is in response to resident complaints about the impact of a tower, but also since the proposal doesn’t meet setback requirements, the monopine meets a “stealth” or “camouflage” design requirement that would allow City Council to waive the setback requirement. There’s also a secondary location proposed that’s about 60 feet to the east that improves but doesn’t eliminate the setback issues.
Various comparisons showing the current views at Wentworth Park and an artist’s conception of what the monopine cell tower would look like.
The Project
- Where: The proposed location is in Wentworth Park northwest of the existing circle parking lot. It would be roughly 400 feet from neighboring homes.
- What: A 145-foot cell phone tower with a four-foot lightning rod. The base is a 2,500-square-foot fenced enclosure that’s screened with vegetation. The monopine design includes fake branches and the tower is the color of tree bark.
- Why: Verizon has identified a service gap in the area and the consultants have identified this location as the best way to address that gap. Mendota Heights Mayor Stephanie Levine has said poor cell phone reception is the most common complaint she hears from the community.
- Issues: Resident concerns have included impact to property values (the applicant has provided studies that allege no impact, which residents dispute), changing the nature of the park/community with an unsightly industrial feature (which the monopine design attempts to address), questioning whether or not this is the best solution to address the coverage gap, and potential health issues (the American Cancer Society says there’s not much evidence for this; it might be moot anyway as the Federal Communications Commission doesn’t allow local municipalities to deny cell phone towers based on health impacts).
- Cost: Mendota Heights would receive $15,000 per year in lease fees, and potentially more if other carriers signed on to use the tower.
- History: Planning Commission previously considered this proposal in March and April, opting to table the proposal for more information and revisions. About 45 residents spoke during the public hearing between the two meetings, with at least 60 written comments also submitted.
- Context: A proposal for a 120-foot tower in Wentworth Park was rejected in 2006. Other cities do have cell towers in parks, including Harmon Park and Oakdale Park in West St. Paul (though they are shorter than this proposal).
- Process: The proposal will first go to Planning Commission on Tuesday, July 28 at 7 p.m. at city hall. It would then go to City Council for final consideration.
If you’d like local coverage in your community, we need your support. That’s how local news works. Join now to become a member and support local news. Thank you.
