Putting cell tower in Rolling Meadows park is all wrong

The Rolling Meadows Park Board has entered into a contract with Verizon to lease park land for a 75-foot cell tower, to be located on a footprint the size of an original Meadows three-bedroom house, - not including the easements that will need to be granted.

This tower would be about as tall as a six-story apartment building, and brightly lit seven days a week, 52 weeks a year for 20 years, with the probability of lease renewal.

In effect they are selling public land. This tower is to be located virtually in the neighbors' backyards, spoiling their right to enjoy their land and greatly reducing the resale value of their house.

Why? Just for money. Money they admit they really don't need, but would like to have so they can plan on spending it. The park district is the third largest item on my real estate tax bill, behind School District 214, and the City of Rolling Meadows.

If they are so desperate for money then they should go through the steps necessary to raise property taxes so that all residents of Rolling Meadows bear the burden, and not just some of the homeowners.

The park district's charter is to provide land for public use. For sports, recreation, education, nature conservancy, space for people to rest and relax.

They are not in the commercial real estate business. If this is permitted, then a precedent has been set and the other three cellphone companies could legally demand the same right to park land.

I'm sure there is a spot in all the other park land acreage that would be suitable, maybe not exactly what they want, but then so be it. (why not behind Park Central?)

William Roberts

Rolling Meadows