More than two dozen locals attended a Heber City Planning Commission meeting Tuesday, May 12, to protest plans for a 65-foot cell tower in their neighborhood.
The tower, which is proposed for a site near the Wasatch County Health Department along East Center Street, would require a zoning change because of its height.
Commissioners listened to objections from nearby neighbors for over an hour.
Some residents, like Kylie Butler, asked the planning commission to consider putting the tower in the nearby cemetery instead.
“We were told placing the tower near the cemetery would be inappropriate because it would be disrespectful of the deceased,” she said. “And I want to ask this honestly: If it is considered disrespectful to place this tower near those who have passed away, then how is it respectful to place it directly behind the homes of people who are living here every single day?”
Others, like Kenny Turley, worried about potential health impacts for their families, especially their children.
“I have a 10-year-old son with hearing aids,” he said. “And so, it’s like, does this – is this going to affect interference or anything? I have no idea.”
Radiofrequency emissions from cell phones can sometimes cause problems for hearing aid users.
Several residents invited the applicant, Atlas Communications, to visit their neighborhood and see how a tower would affect their homes.
Jared Jones compared the scale of the plans to a bee flying around the room.
“If anybody seen the bee or the wasp that was flying around – back there, it didn't look big, but when me and him was right there, that sucker was huge,” he said, to laughter from the crowd. “So, when you're close to it, you feel the impact of what a 60-foot tower was going to be.”
Planning commissioners said Heber City needs better cell coverage, but it also needs a better plan for where towers are appropriate.
Here’s Commissioner Tori Broughton.
“I think everyone agrees that we do need more cell towers in this valley, but it feels to me like the unanimous answer here is this isn’t the right spot,” she said.
The planning commission proposed a master plan for cell tower coverage.
Commissioners asked city staff to revisit the cemetery as a possible site for the Atlas tower.
They will discuss cell towers again at their meeting May 26.
Heber City is a financial supporter of KPCW.
