NEWS

Board OKs 14-story cell tower at cemetery

Esteban Parra
The News Journal

The New Castle County Board of Adjustment gave its blessing 3-2 to build a 14-story cellphone tower in a cemetery, but not before hearing from people that said it would sully sacred ground.

More than 60 opponents of the cellphone tower tried to sway board members from granting AT&T and Catholic Cemeteries Inc. a special-use permit so it can build a 142-foot structure, which will be disguised as a bell tower, at All Saints Cemetery on Kirkwood Highway in Milltown.

David H. Burt, chairman of the New Castle County Board of Adjustment, addressed dozens of people at a public hearing on the installation of a cell tower at a Milltown church. The board later approved the plan 3-2.

"I'm very disappointed," said Laura Huber, one of the 16 opponents who spoke at the three-hour hearing. "I do not agree. I think my property values will go down."

Huber said she hopes there is another option to keep the tower from going up.

In addition to complaints of property value loss, others in the crowd opposed the tower because of its height, which would surpass the DuPont Building in Wilmington by about 18 feet. Others felt the cemetery was not a suitable site and that the tower should be moved to another location, such as Carousel Park. Many others opposed the commercial tower being built in the cemetery because the ground is considered sacred.

Sen. Karen E. Peterson, D-Stanton, whose district includes the cemetery, said she had concerns that a commercial entity would be placed on a cemetery that is tax-exempt.

A tower similar to the 14-story cellphone tower proposed for All Saints Cemetery on Kirkwood Highway in Milltown.

Officials from AT&T and the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, which oversees All Saints, said a lot of consideration was taken before going into this proposal.

The tower will be disguised to look like an attractive bell tower. The tower also will be located in a remote undeveloped area of the cemetery, closer to St. Mark's High School, and about 650 feet from any home.

Robert Krebs, Diocese spokesman, has said the cemetery has a sanitary sewer easement through the grounds of All Saints that was granted so that the local neighborhood could have sewer service. He added that the sewers don't endanger the sacred character of the cemetery any more than the bell tower.

Richard Forsten, who represented AT&T at the hearing, said they tethered a balloon to the proposed area, letting it climb to a height of 140 feet and that the balloon could not be seen from most of the homes in the area. Some opponents said they were able to see the balloon and brought photos to the hearing.

AT&T officials said cell sites are critical to 21st Century infrastructure, adding 98 percent of Delaware's population subscribes to wireless services, and almost one-quarter of the state's population live in wireless-only households.

Because of that, consumers are demanding more reliable broadband coverage, which is important for public safety, education, telecommuters and every sector of the local economy.

According to the Federal Communications Commission, around 70 percent of all 911 calls are now made using cellphones.

The board of adjustment has the ultimate decision. A formal written decision will be issued approximately one month after the public hearing and is mailed directly to the applicant. An applicant may appeal the board's decision if it goes against them.

Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3.

Media told not to record

A News Journal photographer and an NBC cameraman were ordered not to film a public hearing Thursday night as the New Castle County Land Use Board began to consider the proposed cell tower site at All Saints Cemetery.

Media members objected citing the state's open meetings laws, but board chairman David Burt said there were "procedural rules" that did not allow recording or videotaping of its proceedings. The objection was noted, and board members then voted unanimously to continue without allowing recordings of the debate.