After an impassioned public hearing regarding the construction of a telecommunications tower off Kitchen Road in Northport, planning commission members decided to adjourn the meeting and to continue further talks on the issue at a later date.
The Leelanau Township Planning Commission held the June 13 hearing to give the public a chance to voice their concerns about the planned 195foot tower project that has been under scrutiny since the township board announced in April it would be put on hold. The public comments made will be used partially to help the planning commission make findings while also reviewing the relevant zoning ordinance.
The proposed project plan includes the tower construction, excavation of a 5,000 square foot area for the tower compound and foundation, and establishment of a 1,500 foot driveway. The Kitchen Road site was also identified via a site study as the preferred location to provide the widest (cellular and broadband) coverage for the township.
All planning commissioners took part in the discussion, with Brian Mitchell, Leelanau Township planning commission vice chair, recusing himself from the process as the property owner of the land that the tower would be constructed on. The meeting was held at the township’s fire hall to accommodate for the anticipated higher than usual audience turnout that showed up to share their opinions about the controversial development.
“People were accusing the township of not being transparent, and so I wanted to get the public hearing process going knowing that we’re not going to make a decision until we have everything,” Leelanau Township zoning administrator Steve Patmore said at the meeting. “A decision will come later which will include a thorough evaluation of the application compared to the zoning ordinance, we’re not at that point yet, and we will do findings of fact and you (the board) will make decisions based upon those findings of fact… you can establish conditions related to the ordinance.”
••• Planning commissioner Gerald Schatz listed off the range of concerns about the construction of a tower based on the public comment received. Some of those concerns included emergency communication, the township’s power and what its policies and laws are, finance, alternatives available, and environmental impacts of the overall project.
Despite talks between the county and township regarding the need for better cellular coverage since 2021, several members of the public claimed at the township board’s April meeting that they only recently learned about the project, and were shocked to learn how far along in the process they were with choosing a site and constructing a tower. Matt Ansorge, Leelanau County’s emergency management director, previously cited miscommunication between the county and township over the last two years about the steps taken for who would take care of different parts in the process.
Public comment at the public hearing opposed to the tower echoed much of the same sentiments. Nearly 20 people spoke during public comment both in support and against the tower. More than a dozen letters about the tower were also collected as correspondence from members of the public regarding its construction and potential location.
“I gotta say as a county resident I’m really disappointed that the county would do something like this without doing a real, deep application where you have the information you need to answer the questions that you are asking so that is a concern in terms of the financial things…” said Leelanau County resident Chris Grobbel, who was the first to make public comment.
“Nobody here wants there to be a tower… I would be happy to put a much shorter tower that is disguised and preserves the character of the village that we love right in my backyard,” said James Morris, whose property neighbors the potential tower site.
Other comments that were made in support of the tower highlighted the importance of needing cellular service in places beyond downtown Northport such as near Peterson Park and Christmas Cove. Richard Kyle Foster, another Leelanau County resident, spoke about an incident when he and his wife went walking at Peterson Park. He recounted when he slipped on a rock and tore his quadriceps tendon on his right leg, leaving him immobile and unable to walk back up from the stony beach.
“My wife pulled out her cellphone and of course there was no cellphone coverage there…” Foster said. “I think it’s important to be able to provide safety for our hikers, for our people at our campgrounds, and for outdoor people who are in this community as well as for households and current coverage isn’t there.”
“If you can go out in northern Leelanau Township and not be able to call for help in 2024 is absurd,” said Garret Fairchild, another local resident in support of the tower construction. “It’s an ethical and moral responsibility for you as a board to put the tower in because it has the potential to save lives…”
••• Over the last two years, major actions have been taken to pursue a new communications tower, including 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. According to a 2021 Leelanau County Broadband Inventory Survey, Leelanau Township was found to be the most underserved population in the county.
Aside from answering questions about the tower, Ansorge explained what the build process would look like, noting that it’d take about 4-8 weeks to complete at the Mitchell property. He also addressed the concerns of the environmental impact it would have, something many people opposed to the idea referenced as a problem, stating that the tower would not pose an impact for the wetland identifi ed near the site.
“The conservation district said as long as it conforms to the engineering of the driveway, it will not pose an impact,” Ansorge said. “... We did have FAA approval and thankfully they do not require us to light this tower, so I was extremely happy to find that out when we got the approval back from the FAA. It will not need to be lighted and it seemed like a win-win right there.”
To review the full communications tower application and to monitor when the next planning commission meeting will be, people can visit leelanautownshipmi. gov.
