Several citizens and city council members left yesterday's meeting outraged after Mayor Paul Wiehl adhered to his decision to install the 150-foot city communication tower on Roosevelt Drive.
Ian Hines, the site's project manager, reported at the meeting that the 1,500 pound structure slated to stand 127 feet from the nearest residential home would be safer and more reliable than the existing tower.
Roosevelt Drive is the perfect location for the tower because it can reach all city departments except for the second fire station, he said.
While the new tower has received a state permit regarding engineering in relation to land and weather characteristics, the approval process relies on local ordinances to set the standard on proximity to residential areas - a code that Athens does not have.
We do not have an ordinance about where we could put this
Wiehl said. If we want to put (the tower) there we can. It is our property.
The city has already contracted about $600,000 to build the tower and would lose that amount if officials decided not to install the tower, said Law Director Pat Lang.
The current tower has a rusting base, no fence to keep children from the park below from climbing on it and uses an outdated technology that could be discontinued in the future, Hines said.
If that new tower doesn't go up you better pray that your communication connection doesn't get turned off
he told council members.
Resident Kelly Weary said that she is worried that the tower will snap and fall into her home.
Hines said that it would either fall into itself or fall away from the housing located on the hill.
The city does have a current code that restricts the building of certain structures on steep grades like Roosevelt Drive. However, Wiehl said that city administration structures could be exempt from this code.
Weary and resident Linda Wicke said that the struggle is not over and that they might take legal action if the city continues with the plans.
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Caitlin McGlade
