100-foot cell tower denied

Verizon Wireless was denied Monday a permit to install a 100-foot tall cell phone tower disguised as a faux pine tree north of the viaduct. Whitefish City Council unanimously decided the wireless company needs to find a more suitable place for such a tall structure.

Verizon is seeking to add a tower in Whitefish to improve coverage and data speeds for their customers near downtown. Verizon currently has a tower on Lion Mountain but consultants say more coverage is needed to keep up with demand from smartphone users. The proposed tower would have allowed two additional antennas from other wireless providers.

“Without additional capacity, phone and data quality will degrade,” Verizon consultant Kevin Howell told council. “Visitors are all taking photos of Whitefish and sending them home to grandma — it takes capacity to do that.

“People go home and start downloading movies... they aren’t getting on their wi-fi, they’re just buying more data,” he explained.

Councilor Chris Hyatt suggested Verizon look at installing a higher tower at 10th Street and Baker Avenue where there is already a cell tower.

In 2004, council had limited the height of that tower to less than 100 feet.

“I’m part of the crowd that doesn’t think we need towers everywhere,” Hyatt said. “I would rather go up higher with a pole than have another pole in another location.

“If we have to go up to 120 feet at 10th and Baker, I’d be with that in a heartbeat.”

Kevin said the company could re-evaluate the 10th and Baker site to see if addition height would better serve downtown.

Bill Kahle said that while the city needs to keep up with technology advancements, he didn’t think all viable locations for the tower were considered.

“I’m not saying I will never vote for a 100-foot faux pine tree tower, but it will be my last option, not the first,” he said.

Phil Mitchell asked Verizon to look at installing a tower on top of the Emergency Services Center, on top of a new city hall downtown or possibly at Memorial Park.