Council May Limit Cell-Phone Towers $3.2 Million Design Contract For New Bridge Also On Agenda

Tue., Sept. 3, 1996

By Kristina Johnson kristinaj@spokesman.com

Telecommunications companies may face restrictions on building cellular telephone towers if the Spokane City Council approves a proposal tonight.

The council in May called a halt to the construction of the towers near residential neighborhoods until standards could be drafted by the Plan Commission.

The city’s aging zoning code doesn’t address the towers that hold antennae used for wireless communication. Requests for permits continue to increase as the telecommunications business booms.

Last spring, some residents raised concerns about plans for two towers on the North Side - one near Tidyman’s on Addison and one near Joe Albi Stadium. The moratorium didn’t apply to either proposal because the sites weren’t near residential areas.

Also tonight, the council will consider a $3.2 million contract with CH2M Hill Northwest, Inc., to design the new Lincoln Street bridge.

Money for the contract comes from state and federal taxpayers.

Design expenses are about 14 percent of the project’s total $23 million cost, said Brad Blegen, the city’s construction services director.

Blegen blamed part of the design contract’s price on attorney Steve Eugster, who sued the city to stop the bridge project because of his concerns about environmental impacts.

The city and Eugster called a truce in January, with the city agreeing to make several improvements to enhance the river gorge area near the bridge.

Plans call for the one-way bridge to align with Lincoln Street, carrying northbound traffic from downtown to the Sinto Avenue area. Eventually, the Monroe Street bridge would become one-way southbound.

The council also plans a hearing on the city’s six-year solid waste plan.

A briefing for the council begins at 3:30 p.m. in the lower-level conference room of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. The meeting starts at 6 p.m.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: PROPOSED LIMITS The Plan Commission’s proposal: Allows the towers in non-residential zones if the site is at least 300 feet from the nearest residential lot. Requires a special permit from the hearing examiner to build towers in residential zones. Requires companies to screen the tower’s base, possibly with plants. The towers must be painted to blend with neighborhoods. Doesn’t allow decorative lighting on the towers. Doesn’t allow a new tower within a mile of another, unless the applicant can prove the older tower won’t do the job.

This sidebar appeared with the story: PROPOSED LIMITS The Plan Commission’s proposal: Allows the towers in non-residential zones if the site is at least 300 feet from the nearest residential lot. Requires a special permit from the hearing examiner to build towers in residential zones. Requires companies to screen the tower’s base, possibly with plants. The towers must be painted to blend with neighborhoods. Doesn’t allow decorative lighting on the towers. Doesn’t allow a new tower within a mile of another, unless the applicant can prove the older tower won’t do the job.