Verizon drops cell phone tower plan

Verizon Wireless on Friday scrapped plans to place a cell phone tower at Lake City High School following a conversation between Verizon representatives and Coeur d’Alene School District officials.

The wireless phone company had been working for more than a year on a proposal to place a 115-foot tower near the school’s football field to help improve cell service in the area.

The final proposal was to be considered by the Coeur d’Alene Planning Commission at its meeting next Tuesday. But a flurry of complaints to the school district about the visibility of the tower and possible health effects from cell phone radiation prompted the district and Verizon to rescind the proposal this week and rework it.

The height was dropped from 115 feet to 100, and a Verizon representative said the tower would be constructed to resemble a flag pole to address visibility concerns. Also, the proposed location was moved closer to the school, from the west end of the football field to the east, so it could blend in better with the building and lights.

But the complaints continued, and the school district said Friday afternoon it had ditched the proposal completely.

“The school district received input from people who live near Lake City High and took those concerns to heart. We are pleased by the cooperation of Verizon Wireless to withdraw the project,” Superintendent Harry Amend said in the release. He could not be reached for further comment.

Verizon spokeswoman Georgia Taylor said it’s not uncommon for tower plans to change because of community concerns. “We’ll go back and evaluate our options now,” Taylor said.

Even with the reduction, the height of the proposed tower exceeded regulations for the area by about 57 feet. The project would have needed a height variance from the city and a special-use permit to place the tower on the site, which is in a residential zone.

While the district said most complaints centered on the visibility of the tower, a couple of people expressed concern about the health effects the tower might have on students at Lake City and nearby Woodland Middle and Skyway Elementary schools.

Verizon would have paid the district about $1,000 a month for use of the land at Lake City.