Northbrook trustees consider proposal for cell tower near Techny Road

Cell towers, including a preliminary review regarding the construction of a new tower in an industrial area south of Techny Road, was the main topic of discussion during a recent Northbrook village board meeting.

A plan to build a Vertical Bridge 120-foot cell tower at 1631 Techny Road was presented, and a special zoning permit is being sought to allow its placement at the south end of the property. An earlier proposal would have had the tower situated near Techny Road.

Trustees expressed concerns that, should the 120-foot tower fall in high winds, the nearest building is just 115 feet away.

Without zoning relief, cell towers within the village are required to be at least 110% of the tower height away from the nearest building.

"If you have a 120-foot tower, and the nearest building, which is not on the subject property, is 115 feet away - that doesn't work for me," Trustee Muriel Collison said.

LLC Telecom Services zoning director Mike Bieniek answered board members' questions and stated that in the event of a structural failure during inclement weather, cell towers are designed to break at a point two-thirds downward from the top, and that an internal cable keeps the broken portion attached to the lower third.

The board also renewed a special permit for an existing Crown Castle GT Company LLC personal wire services antenna situated on a tower-style structure at 180 Anets, just west of the Techny Prairie Activity Center.

A representative of that company stated that the antenna is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2023 when its lease expires and subsequently removed.