Cell towers, service and view sheds

For anyone who has visited Lake Roosevelt, they know that spotty cell service is the norm. As over 90 percent of U.S. adults have cell phones, making it the most quickly adopted consumer technology ever, that introduces both inconvenience and safety concerns.

In Lincoln County, cell gaps are expected to narrow with construction of up to five cell towers made possible by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Connect America Fund. Siting and construction of these cell towers is not, however, without controversy. Said Ben Wyborney, a property owner adjacent to a proposed tower north of Wilbur, in a letter to the editor, “… this cell tower will constitute a distasteful corporate eye-sore in the form of an antenna-strung silver tower during the day, FAA required flashing red anti-collision lights at night, and a vicious scar of a road leading up to it.”

Other proposed locations are in the Creston, Harrington, Hawk Creek and Odessa areas. After comments and Wyborney contesting an easement across his property, the application for the Wilbur cell tower was withdrawn.
Said Lincoln County commissioners Scott Hutsell, “The Wilbur site taught us that cell tower developers, property owners, stakeholders and county planners need to actively get on the same page of the book. There are some lessons learned, and everyone is clear we need to do more than go through the bureaucratic motions.”

Often referred to as “Not in My Back Yard” (or NIMBYs), the issues affecting Lincoln County are the same as residents and others who don’t want wind turbines and other types of modern day infrastructure dotting the landscape. Be it view sheds, property values or public health concerns, passions are aroused.

Hutsell encourages Lincoln County residents with concerns to contact the planning department to learn more about proposed projects and opportunities for public comment as sites are considered. Said Hutsell, “Even in rural America 85 percent of the population has cell phones. So the question isn’t whether we need or want service, the question is the best way to build out the infrastructure.”