[November 13, 2009] Advisory board: No cell tower at River Club Tweet MANATEE, Nov 13, 2009 (The Bradenton Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A proposed telecommunications tower within River Club drew a chilly reception from an advisory board Thursday. Manatee County commissioners should reject Vertex Development LLC's request to install a 150-foot tower disguised as a flagpole, the county's planning commission said. But the planning board's 4-2 vote reflected the issue's divisiveness. The majority of board members agreed with residents who said the proposed tower was incompatible with the surrounding area, while the minority said it was "a classic case" of NIMBY-ism. The board's recommendation pleased more than two dozen River Club residents who presented a petition with about 1,000 signatures opposing the tower. Opponents and their attorney, Patricia Petruff, argued that the tower was not allowed under River Club's development approvals. Those approvals stipulated that the golf course could only be used as a golf course or open space. "This (tower) is a new use that is expressly not allowed under the current approvals," Petruff said. Residents also cited concerns about noise, lighting and the tower possibly collapsing onto the clubhouse's parking lot. They also said the tower would be better put along State Road 70. That was considered but ruled out, Vertex officials said. They said the proposed tower site -- within a 33.3-acre parcel along the west side of River Club Boulevard south of S.R. 70 -- was the best location to close a gap in communications coverage. "There are other places within River Club that would work engineering-wise, but I can't put it in somebody's back yard," said Lauralee Westine, a Palm Harbor attorney representing Vertex. Yet opponents are acting as if it will be and screaming "Not in My Back Yard," a planning board member said. "To me, this is a classic case where people want service but don't want the infrastructure necessary to support that service," George Mendez said. "You can't have it both ways." His motion to recommend approval failed on a 2-4 vote, with Mendez and fellow new board member Timothy Choates on the losing end. Board chairman Richard Bedford and members Steve Belack, Mary Sheppard and Marilyn Stasica then pushed through a recommendation that the county deny Vertex's request. Planning commissioner David Wick was absent. The board's recommendation now goes to county commissioners, who are scheduled to consider it on Dec. 3. Duane Marsteller, transportation/growth and development reporter, can be reached at 745-7080, ext. 2630. To see more of The Bradenton Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.bradenton.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Bradenton Herald, Fla. 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. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]