The Eagle Harbor Township Board will vote again on the special use permit application submitted by Diamond Towers V LLC for the proposed cell tower across from the Lodge and Brockway Mountain Road. This meeting is in-person at the Eagle Harbor Township Hall, with comments accepted in-person, written, and email.
What: Eagle Harbor Township Board Meeting
When: September 13, 2020 at 7pm
Where: Eagle Harbor Township Hall
[ Zoom link for viewing only: Zoom Meeting Instructions | Zoom Meeting Link (meeting id: 738 312 0244, passcode: 321) — comments to be made in-person ]
The board will be reviewing the special use permit for the Diamond Communications proposed cell tower. The Eagle Harbor Township Planning Commission and the public have expressed their thoughts on this tower in past meetings, and should continue to speak up at this meeting about this proposed tower. As well, written comments can be submitted prior to the meeting via email to office@eagleharbortwp.org and/or clerk@eagleharbortwp.org.
Below is an image of what potentially the tower will look like and where it will be located. This is based upon the balloon test that Ramaker and Diamond Communications did in late May. In the picture, you will see the red balloon at the top of the tower.
The Lodge strongly encourages the public to attend and voice their opinions on the proposed tower. Many members of the public attended a previous Eagle Harbor Township Board meeting on this same permit application that was held on April 12, 2021, and the more recent Eagle Harbor Township Planning Commission meeting on August 10, 2021.
At the April 12th hearing, the Board voted to send the pending application for the cell tower special use permit back to the Zoning Administrator for further review in order to ensure compliance with the Township’s Zoning Ordinance. The permit application is now back before the Planning Commission and, if approved by the Planning Commission, will go to the Board. Public input concerning the tower remains extremely important. Balloon and drone tests completed since the April Board meeting have confirmed the significant impact on views that the tower will have on the Lodge and Brockway Mountain (photos can be found in the link below).
At the August 10th hearing, the Planning Commission voted to recommend to the board to deny the special use permit. The planning commission reviewed the updated site plan that Diamond Towers submitted, and went through each point required for ensuring the site plan was complete. Commission members agreed that the site plan was complete.
The planning commission then reviewed the special use permit as it relates to meeting all the requirements for a special use permits. The commission members agreed that the special use permit for the cell tower in the proposed location did not meet the necessary requirements for being harmonious with the surroundings. More specifically, they determined that the following two required standards for approving a special use were not met:
- 10.5.1(A): The Special Land Use shall be designed, constructed, operated and maintained in a manner harmonious with the character of adjacent property and the surrounding area; and
- 10.5.1(B): The Special Land Use shall not change the essential character of the surrounding area.
As a result, the planning commission will recommend to the board of Eagle Harbor Township to deny the special use permit.
If you are unable to attend the September 13th in-person board meeting and would like to submit written comments, those may be sent to: Eagle Harbor Township Zoning Administrator, 321 Center St., Eagle Harbor, MI 49950, and/or to office@eagleharbortwp.org.
Previous blog posts about the proposed cell tower:
- Eagle Harbor Township Planning Commission Recommends Denying Special Use Permit for Proposed Cell Tower (August 17, 2021)
- Proposed Cell Tower: Eagle Harbor Township Planning Commission Meeting, August 10th (August 5, 2021)
- Update on the Proposed Cell Tower: Drone and Balloon Test (May 20, 2021)
- Results of Eagle Harbor Township Board Meeting; Proposed cell tower to be reviewed again by the Planning Committee (April 15, 2021)
And our projects page focused on addressing the problem of cell phone communication:
- Improving Mobile Phone Communication (at the top of the Keweenaw)