Cell tower on forest preserve property nixed after public opposition
Lake County Forest Preserve District officials have rejected a proposal to build a cell tower at the Countryside Golf Club near Mundelein due in large part to public opposition.
The forest board's planning committee on Monday unanimously recommended against the plan by Central States Tower.
"In this particular case, based on the public comment relative to it, I can't support it," said Commissioner Craig Taylor.
"They did not show we were the only alternative and the comments of the neighbors were a reflection of that," added forest board President Ann Maine, who is not on the committee but attended the meeting.
For many years, the district declined to consider any cell tower proposals. But as the number of requests increased significantly, the board determined cell towers could represent a potential source of needed revenue.
After considerable debate, terms under which tower proposals would be considered were set last February. Showing there are no other workable locations and hosting a public open house are among the requirements.
"We really wanted to understand how the public felt about this," said forest preserve Executive Director Ty Kovach.
The matter came to the forest preserve district after Mundelein rejected a request to build the tower on the grounds of The Chapel on Hawley Street and Route 60/83. The Countryside site was in a maintenance building parking lot near the southeast corner of Chevy Chase Road and Hawley Street.
Central States sent notices to 826 addresses for an open house Oct. 18, at Mundelein High School. Forty-one residents attended, and of the 13 who filled out comment forms, only one supported the tower.
Five of six emails received were in opposition, Kovach added. The district also received a written petition with 103 signatures and an online petition with 247 signatures against the tower at Countryside.
"The way we went about doing this was the right thing to do," said Commissioner Jeff Werfel.
Given the opposition and because Central States failed to show Countryside was the "last and best available option" or present a compelling need for the cell tower in the area, the staff recommended not to proceed.
"I had hoped to find something we could support," said Commissioner Chuck Bartels, who represents the area. "It's just too much of an eyesore for the people who live nearby."
Richard Riley, of Wireless & Broadcast Siting Advisors LLC, said Verizon wouldn't have spent three years trying to locate a tower in the area if it wasn't "really necessary."
He contended opposition would fade if the aesthetics changed and suggested a "tree tower" to look like a pine tree. However, that would restrict antenna positioning and is "very expensive" compared to a normal tower, he added.