People will have the chance to voice themselves again regarding the Kitchen Road telecommunications tower tonight, Jan. 23, at 6:30 at the Leelanau Township Planning Commission public hearing.
Planners will gather at the fire department building in Northport to review a new and updated information presented and then consider approval of a special use permit for the 200 ft. tall tower.
The Planning Commission held a meeting earlier this month where there was a general discussion and public comment on the tower special use permit. Following a preliminary zoning review in Sept. 2024, a new and updated application was submitted and then discussed in November to cover an initial site plan review.
The preliminary review is based on comparing the new application to the Leelanau Township zoning ordinance.
Leelanau Township Zoning Administrator Steve Patmore said after the public hearing is closed tonight, the Planning Commission will start their deliberation, which includes reviewing the zoning ordinance and a thorough report prepared on the tower, considering public comments, and asking questions. Following deliberations, the commission will then come to a decision. Depending on how long the hearing is though, Patmore said the group may have to hold another meeting for their decision.
“They (the commission) can either approve it, deny it, or approve it with conditions,” Patmore said. “If it (the application) meets the ordinance or even meets with conditions, they should approve it. If it does not meet the ordinance, then they have grounds to not approve it. So they’re taking a very objective approach. We have to go by the zoning ordinance.”
The township board approved putting the project on hold in April 2024, with county and township officials citing miscommunication and missteps throughout the application process. The initiative for a communications tower goes back to 2022 though when former Leelanau Township Supervisor John Sanders met with county officials to discuss solutions and possible tower sites after a 2021 Leelanau County Broadband Inventory survey found the township to be the most underserved population in the county.
The township and county have been working together to move forward with tower plans since then, approving of major actions in the process such as the township passing a resolution urging the county to assist with their coverage shortfalls, as well as the board’s approval to commit $100,000 in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) grant funds towards the project.
Despite dozens of township residents both criticizing and applauding efforts to organize and construct a tower over the last couple of years, county officials such as interim administrator Richard Lewis have said that the additional service may have a positive impact on property values and quality of life for many residents.
In the special land use permit application cover letter, Lewis said the proposed tower is “critical to providing county-wide 911 coverage and providing options for more township residents to access cellular communication services that allow people to work from home and communicate via cellular service that is not available today.” Lewis said the proposed tower will replace an existing tower in roughly the same location, and that although the structure is taller, “it will not include any flashing lights or features that create adverse impacts on surrounding properties.” According to the application submitted in October, Verizon has provided a letter of intent to co-locate on the tower, but until a permit is finalized to construct one, receiving a formal commitment is challenging. However, the county is confident that it will be utilized by multiple carriers and is equipped to handle four cellular co-locations.
