Lutheran church
After months of discussion, the Jackson Town Council approved the construction of a 55 foot cellphone antenna disguised as a bell tower at the Redeemer Lutheran Church at 175 N. Willow St. Proposed by Atlas Towers, a worldwide builder of cell towers, the tower will be able to house three cellular carriers and dramatically expand service throughout the town of Jackson, the applicant stated.
“There is a real need here [for supplemental wireless service], and I think it’s clear the community wants it,” said Mike Powers, director of legal affairs of Atlas Towers. “Public safety is concern No. 1. Without improving service there will be repercussions. Our tower will improve communication in an emergency.” Powers also pointed out that many of Jackson’s small businesses and families rely on clear and reliable wireless service in their daily lives. “Wireless communication is more than just Snapchatting and texting,” he said. “This is a real benefit to the community.” Approval for the project was repeatedly deferred because of discussions about the height and visibility of a church bell tower throughout town.
Current development regulations limit the height of a building in Jackson to 46 feet. However, Atlas Towers asserted that at 46 feet the tower could only house two carriers instead of three. Not only would the shorter tower limit the number of cellular carriers, officials from Tmobile and Atlas Towers said, it would also limit those carriers’ service capacities because of trees and other buildings. At 55 feet the signal will be able to reach wider areas of town.
“At 55 feet we could cover downtown and East Jackson,” said Rocky Sucher, a representative from Tmobile. “At 46 feet we would have eventually had to put forward another application for another tower to serve east Jackson.” The issue of height was compounded by the fact that a 12foot cross will sit atop the 55 foot tower. “I do not think we as a community should be permitting religious symbols 55 feet off the ground,” said Councilor Jim Stanford. “I don’t care what symbol it is.”
Though some were uncomfortable with the cross, legal precedent brought up by Mike Powers of Atlas Towers, would have overruled any objections. The cross was part of an intricate design to mask the cellular antenna as a bell tower. As planned by Gilday Architects, the tower will use materials that match those of the church and actually, function as a bell tower. “In order for it to look like a tower, height is very important,” said Peggy Gilday. “Without 55 feet the building starts to look squatty and lose its elegance.” “I’ve worked in wireless for 15 years and this design is very desirable,” Sucher said at a previous meeting. “We would love to sign a lease with Atlas Towers at this proposed site.” The Town Council approved the plan in a 41 vote, with Stanford dissenting.
