Cell Tower Construction Causes Concern
T-Mobile To Pay $18,000 Each Year To County
POSTED: 11:51 am CDT March 12,
2008
UPDATED: 7:11 pm CDT March 12,
2008
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Parents in Rutherford County are concerned about the proposed construction of a cell phone tower near a playground and school.
Video: Proposed Cell Phone Tower Concerns ParentsThe local planning commission has already approved the tower that would be constructed directly behind Wilson Elementary in Rutherford County and next to the playground.Channel 4 talked with parents about their concerns of electromagnetic radiation emitting from the proposed 250-foot tower.While cell phone service is currently spotty in this area, parents at the school said its not worth building a tower and risking their kids health and decreasing property values."They could find 100 places to put it on commercial property and not come into a residential school area," said homeowner Gus Dupois.But county school engineer Gary Clardy said there is no other reasonable place for the structure to go.He said there's no evidence that the radiation that is emitted would be anymore than what people would get standing near a microwave oven."I'm very comfortable with the tower going there, and I don't think its going to endanger our children at all," said Clardy.The county contends that they need money with the area's continued growth, and the tower is a great way to generate revenue.Cell phone provider T-Mobile would pay the county $18,000 a year to put up the structure. Officials said there will be a fence put around the tower if it is built.The proposal will go before the board of zoning appeals Wednesday night in Murfreesboro. If the zoning appeals board approves building the tower, it will go before the county commission for final approval. Watch Channel 4 News at 5 p.m. for more on this story.
Video: Proposed Cell Phone Tower Concerns ParentsThe local planning commission has already approved the tower that would be constructed directly behind Wilson Elementary in Rutherford County and next to the playground.Channel 4 talked with parents about their concerns of electromagnetic radiation emitting from the proposed 250-foot tower.While cell phone service is currently spotty in this area, parents at the school said its not worth building a tower and risking their kids health and decreasing property values."They could find 100 places to put it on commercial property and not come into a residential school area," said homeowner Gus Dupois.But county school engineer Gary Clardy said there is no other reasonable place for the structure to go.He said there's no evidence that the radiation that is emitted would be anymore than what people would get standing near a microwave oven."I'm very comfortable with the tower going there, and I don't think its going to endanger our children at all," said Clardy.The county contends that they need money with the area's continued growth, and the tower is a great way to generate revenue.Cell phone provider T-Mobile would pay the county $18,000 a year to put up the structure. Officials said there will be a fence put around the tower if it is built.The proposal will go before the board of zoning appeals Wednesday night in Murfreesboro. If the zoning appeals board approves building the tower, it will go before the county commission for final approval. Watch Channel 4 News at 5 p.m. for more on this story. Copyright 2008 by WSMV.com. All rights reserved.
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