DADE CITY – A request to install a 195-foot-tall monopine cell phone tower did not gain a favorable recommendation from the Pasco County Planning Commission on Oct. 3.
Cynthia M Barthle/Anthemnet, Inc./Verizon Wireless had requested a conditional use that would enable the cell tower to be located on the northwest corner of the intersection of St. Joe Road and Mt. Zion Road.
County staff recommended the planning commission send a favorable recommendation with conditions to the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners, which has final authority.
If approved, the proposed cell tower would have dense branching and could accommodate Verizon Wireless and up to three additional cell carriers. It would be located within a 2,500-square-foot fenced compound area within an overall parcel that contains 4.22 acres.
Mary Solik, who is legal counsel for the applicant, told the planning commission that the area where they wanted the cell tower to be placed was the result of a long search to find a site that was buildable, leasable and that would meet locational and performance criteria.
“We were left with very few options and unfortunately we have unhappy neighbors,” Solik said.
Some residents of the nearby Willow Run subdivision objected to the proposed placement of the tower at that location.
Nancy Cabiness Johnson described Willow Run as a gated, deed restricted, high value residential community. Johnson said she believed the placement of the cell tower so close to Willow Run that it would have a negative impact on the community’s property values.
Robert Welbourn, who is president of the Willow Run Property Owners Association, told members the home values in his neighborhood “range probably anywhere from $700,000 to $1.5 million.
“This has a greater financial impact on our residents and our community,” Welbourn said. “It has a more unfair impact to us financially because we have a greater investment.” Welbourn believes placing the cell tower at the proposed location would stigmatize the property.
Solik responded to some of the concerns of neighbors.
“The Barthle property was really all we had left,” Solik said.
“It truly looks like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree up on a pole,” planning commission member Jon Moody said.
Planning commission member Chris Poole said he understood that 5G technology, which is being used, would require tighter spacing of cell towers for it to work efficiently. However, Poole said, “I’m struggling with the need for a tower a mile away from another tower.”
David Taulbee, of Tampa-based Lee Pallardy Inc., told the planning commission that he has 25 years experience evaluating whether cell towers have negative impacts on property values.
“Not once has your appraiser or any appraiser along the whole west coast of Florida and into central Florida made a reduction in an assessment of property – commercial, rural, residential, urban, whatever you want to call it – because of proximity to a tower,” Taulbee said. “There’s simply no market data that indicates and supports that these towers impact values.”
Charles Grey, who chairs the planning commission, disagreed with Taulbee’s view on whether cell towers impact property values.
“I tend to take the common-sense approach,” Grey said. “I’ve been in the real estate business for over 50 years here. So, in my opinion, if I had that monstrosity next to my house then it would impact the value of my property. So if you think it doesn’t you’re just making up a story.
“We’re here to protect our people. That’s our number one job.”
Moody asked the applicant if they would rather have a long continuance so they could either find another site or a tower that could be more compatible with the area, or if they preferred a recommendation of denial.
“I don’t often bring you a site like this but this one is what it is because of what’s on the ground out there,” Solik said. “We have limited choices so I think we would prefer to keep it moving.
“I’m sorry that you’re choosing to penalize Anthemnet going forward.”
“I want you to understand,” Grey said, “that we’re not penalizing anyone. We’re just protecting the people that live here – the same thing I would do for you if you lived here.”
Solik and the people accompanying her were reminded that Moody had given them the option to do a continuance so the issues could be readdressed and they hadn’t done that.
Planning commission members then voted to recommend to county commissioners to deny the request. County commissioners are scheduled to vote Nov. 12.
