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Cell tower project at fairgrounds is in limbo(Star Beacon Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jul. 9--JEFFERSON -- A plan to erect a 250-foot cell phone tower at the Ashtabula County Fairgrounds is in limbo. An alternate site on the county-owned property, south of the Jefferson Area Girls Softball field, is now being looked at by Steve Woody, vice president of site development for ERS Telecom Properties, based in Granger, Ind. The first site, northwest of the JAGS complex, was opposed by JAGS officials, according to County Administrator Janet Discher. Woody declined to say for whom the firm is building the tower, but ERS is looking for suitable sites in and around Jefferson. Woody met Tuesday in a work session with Ashtabula County commissioners, but only two commissioners, Peggy Carlo and Joseph Moroski, committed to the project. Holding out was board president Commissioner Daniel Claypool. "I'm not ready to make a decision today (Tuesday). I feel there will be opposition from village residents. I want to check some things out," Claypool said. One of his concerns is the strobe light required on the top of the tower. "There is nobody close by to be bothered by a cell tower," Moroski said. "I think this alternate site is reasonable, after the first site was opposed by JAGS. As for the commissioners needing the land in the future, the fairgrounds has been there for over 150 years. The need for future county buildings there is unlikely," he said. "I plan to be at the fair board meeting tonight and explain my position. I've been supportive of the tower project from day one," Moroski said. The fair board will meet at 8 p.m. in the concession building, Fair Board Director Bob Jones said. Carlo agreed with Moroski during the work session as to the alternate site. A prior commitment prevents her from attending tonight's fair board meeting. "I hate to see the fair board lose the monthly fee money. This second site is not my favorite, but we commissioners have to support the fair board," she said. Woody said the proposed tower was lowered from 350 to 250 feet. The new design calls for a self-supporting steel lattice pole. It will require no anchor wires, and a 75-by-75-foot fence will be erected around the tower. "I felt I could come into the community here and work with the board of commissioners. I'm not sure what is happening now," Woody said after Tuesday's discussions. When Woody's firm proposed the project three to four months ago, all three commissioners appeared to be on board, Moroski said. "We wanted to work with the county fair board and talked with them. The commissioners want the monthly fee from the tower company owners to be paid to the fair board, not us," Moroski said. The alternate location was picked by fair officials, and Woody, after the first site was opposed by the JAGS committee. JAGS' 11-year lease with the county for its 19 acres of ballfields ends this year. "I've got to move forward for another site if we can't work out this fairgrounds site with the county officials. I hoped to get the project under way by fall," Woody said. To see more of the Star Beacon or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.starbeacon.com/. Copyright (c) 2008, Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |