The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Exploring possible cell tower locations
By Katherine Nettles
What little cell service there is in Crested Butte South is about to decrease as the existing communications equipment is decommissioned, and this month the Crested Butte South Property Owners Association (POA) continued its discussion around potentially placing cell towers at Red Mountain Park or at the CB South Metro District water towers.
Such towers, ranging from 45 to 60 feet depending on placement and location, would replace and upgrade emergency communications and general cell service quality for users in the area. The board is not ready to commit to anything prior to more concrete plans, exhausted alternatives and a survey or vote from the POA membership.
During their January 8 meeting, POA board members discussed the situation along with staff and ComNet Communications representatives. They also heard from several residents with concerns about the Red Mountain Park placement. POA board president Andrew Sandstrom reviewed where the POA was in the process of considering an offer ComNet and the Crested Butte Fire Protection District (CBFPD) made to build cell towers in the area if an appropriate location could be found.
“The board was approached about three months ago, by the fire department as well as ComNet about the need for a potential site for a cell tower. The equipment that gives us very minimal service currently has Chinese equipment in it, so per federal guidelines we have to take it down,” said Sandstrom.
He said the CBFPD has spent a year or more trying to negotiate with property owners nearby and across Highway 135 from CB South to place cell towers, “specifically because that has a better north-south corridor on that side of the highway, but they have been unable to attain a location. So, they approached us, initially to use the fire station here,” said Sandstrom. Engineering challenges at the fire station in CB South led them to explore other opportunities.
Sandstrom underscored the point that the board is not going to make any decisions until a full plan, its possible impacts and POA membership preferences are vetted. The board received a preliminary rendering for one possible location at the park’s hockey rink the week before the meeting but renderings and dimensions for the utility boxes serving them, close to six feet tall and five feet wide, were not complete at that time. “We need a completed plan that we can share with the community,” he concluded.
POA manager Derek Harwell summarized that walk-throughs around the park had determined that two potential locations, on top of two light poles at the hockey rink or in an enclosed area by the fence near the tennis courts, would work at the park. The board had several questions for ComNet representatives, including how much space the equipment would use, how much noise or radiowaves it would emit, how much it would improve service and what other locations could be explored in the area. Richard Pianalto, a representative with ComNet, said they have not totally exhausted the option of other locations such as the water towers owned by the CB South Metro District. He also confirmed that ComNet currently has contracts to serve Verizon and AT&T with any towers it would place.
“I don’t think anybody in this room would disagree that we would love to have cell service, but we don’t want to lose our park space either,” said Sandstrom.
When asked if the towers emit any sort of microwaves, ComNet engineer Curtis Linville said, “When you’re holding your cell phone up to your head and talking, you’ll get more energy than you ever would from a cell tower.” He also said having better cell coverage would actually be a safer amount of exposure for those carrying cell phones. “The cell phones power up or power down depending on coverage. When there is poor coverage, they power up,” he said. “If you’re in good coverage you get less exposure.”
After extensive discussion among board members, they agreed to wait for more details to share with the membership in a community survey among other methods and encourage ComNet to continue exploring other options in the meantime.
About 15 residents spoke during public comment, many expressing frustration that the towers might be placed in the heart of CB South.
“I think we all can agree, cell service is spotty around here,” said Ian Havlick. “But do we really want two cell phone towers in what I would call one of the coolest communities in Colorado? It just does not make sense.” Havlick said he was concerned that the radiation studies have not been conclusive enough to rule out the dangers of having towers in proximity to people and especially children. “It really strikes me as a small community being approached by a large entity, being pressured by other large entities… I hope for full transparency as we continue through this process,” he said. “I think we’re doing it right, let’s just take it slow and be rational. The park is not the place for this.”
Bill Sage encouraged everyone to look into the water towers and said he has read that cell towers can also devalue nearby properties. “I’m all for taking one for the team, but I think this is just a terrible idea.”
Corey Bryndal said he was in support of adding a new cell tower to the region. “It’s much needed,” he said. “However, I think putting them on the valley floor is probably not the optimal choice.” He encouraged other locations with a higher perch to be found along the highway to help service from Jack’s Cabin to the north.
Linville responded that height is optimal to a point, but that contours also create obstacles. “Radio waves don’t go through mountains, regretfully,” he said.
After all comments, Sandstrom recapped that the board would like to see full renderings, see all other locations fully exhausted, and putting one of the proposed locations to a vote.
“As a board we have the power to communicate the options that are being presented to us and then we can survey the community to ask whether we want to accept it or not,” he said in closing. The board agreed and this week confirmed ComNet is still exploring those other options as well as more complete details for its location proposals within the subdivision.
