Cellphone tower pitched for Carol Stream park
Plans to build a cellphone tower in a Carol Stream park are being pitched to the park district.
A company representing a cellphone provider contacted the district about installing the tower in Armstrong Park, 391 Illini Drive, said Arnie Biondo, the district's executive director. He did not name the company.
Stopping short of an endorsement, park board President Brenda Gramann said the idea is worth considering.
She said it's possible for a cell tower to be disguised as something else — such as T-Mobile's flagpole tower in front of the McDonald's restaurant at County Farm and Army Trail roads. And leasing space for a tower could generate extra funds for the district, she said.
The park board previously rejected a similar proposal.
In 2006, a cellphone company sought to install a tower at Armstrong Park and park officials suggested an existing light pole could be used. But company officials said the pole wasn't high enough and wanted a separate tower installed, according to Julie Vogl, the park district's director of marketing services.
Today, though, the door may be open because new light poles will be installed at Armstrong as part of a renovation project.
Such upgrades, however, might have to wait until construction begins on a $5 million county stormwater management project at Armstrong. The project, expected to start next summer and be complete by that winter, calls for building two water reservoirs and a pumping station in an effort to ease flooding in the neighborhood.
Last year, the Carol Stream Library board rejected an offer from T-Mobile to install a cell tower on the library's property at 616 Hiawatha Drive, which is adjacent Armstrong Park. In January, the board turned down an offer from T-Mobile for installation of a tower on library-owned land at 480 Kuhn Road.
It was estimated the library could bring in around $1,500 a month for leasing part of its property for the tower, but trustees ultimately rejected the offer after hearing from residents who raised concerns about aesthetics and possible health effects.