Members of the public filled the seats at the Leelanau Township board meeting Tuesday evening — not for any of the agenda items listed — but to voice their concerns about the potential development and placement of a communications tower on Kitchen Road in Northport.
Mike McMillan, Leelanau Township supervisor, told the audience before public comment that the board is just as concerned as they are about the tower planning process, noting that they understand there’s been miscommunication and that they want to rectify the situation going forward.
Paris Morse, a year-round Leelanau Township resident, was the first to speak during public comment about her opposition to the construction of a 195 feet tower. While the new township communications tower has been a topic of discussion at previous board meetings, Morse said she only recently learned about the plans last month. Morse, along with other residents at the meeting, urged township trustees and the planning commission to take a better look at the project before taking any more action.
“I was shocked to hear of the size and scope, knowing that this is outside of zoning and that it has not followed the process for such projects,” Morse commented. “This proposed tower and its supporting infrastructure, site pad, access road, etc. are significantly outside the Leelanau Township zoning ordinance, as well as key principles set forth in the Leelanau Township master plan… improved emergency communications can be achieved in ways that are in keeping with the zoning and character of the area and at a lower cost.”
Matt Ansorge, Leelanau county emergency management director, said the initiative for the communications tower was initially brought to the county by the township in order to meet their broadband and cellular coverage shortages in the area. In September of 2021, a Leelanau County Broadband Inventory Survey found the township as the most underserved population in the county. Then township supervisor, John Sanders, and other officials met with the county not long after in January 2022 to discuss solutions and possible tower sites.
Since 2022, the county and township have been working together to move forward with tower plans, with several major actions taken such as the township passing a resolution urging the county to assist with their coverage shortfalls, and the board’s approval to commit $100,000 (American Rescue Plan Act monies) towards the project.
Despite the efforts made so far, steps in the process were overlooked. Since the project began, there have been three township supervisors, with Ansorge noting miscommunication between township and county officials over the last two years.
“When we started, he (Sanders) was very gung-ho and very adamant that this project be able to move forward and was going to do just about anything he could in his power to do that… When we’ve had a change in leadership, we have tried our best to bring the new supervisor up to speed and things can get overlooked… this has been an extremely challenging project,” Ansorge said. “When it came to light that it hasn’t gone through the planning commission yet, we immediately put it on hold and are working with the zoning administrator in order to get it in front of the planning commission.”
Ansorge said the Kitchen Road location is the most ideal spot they’ve been able to identify based on propagation studies (cellular coverage maps) completed for the project, adding that Verizon highlighted it as a “top 10 location nationwide in their buildout this year.”
“That one far and above was the best location, so much so that Verizon has already started pursuing equipment on that tower even though it’s not built yet,” he said. “We have made concessions with the project… we have changed the route of the driveway to lessen the impact on the neighbors and that has increased the cost of the project overall. We have tried to be as accommodating as possible and we continue to do so by making it go through the planning commission and zoning process.”
A township public hearing regarding the project is likely in the next few months. The public can watch for updates via the township’s website https://leelanautownshipmi. gov.
“It is our intention to work with the township, submit all plans, respect the process with the Township Planning Commission, obtain all necessary approvals, find options to resolve neighborhood concerns as necessary, and find a way to get service to the 400 unserved residences in the coverage area,” said District No. 4 Commissioner Ty Wessell. “I was impressed by the respectful concerns made in public comment and I’m hopeful that we can have a win-win for all.”
