Garfield County Commissioners approve Aspen Glen cell tower
Taylor Cramer/Post Independent
The Garfield County Commissioners unanimously approved a minor change to the planned unit development (PUD) for the Aspen Glen neighborhood on Monday, allowing for the installation of a Verizon Wireless cell tower.
The proposed 65-foot “monopine” telecommunications tower, designed to resemble a pine tree, will be located on County Road 109, immediately south of the Aspen Glen Golf Club driving range. The property is owned by the Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District (CRFPD) and was deeded to the fire department when Aspen Glen was first developed.
The original PUD, approved in 1992, did not address telecommunications facilities or towers. The updated PUD guide now includes the telecommunication facility as a permitted use within the golf course zone district. It is specifically limited to the fire district parcel and allows for one tower.
The application, detailed with plans for the 65-foot tower, included necessary authorizations from the Fire Protection District. The proposal was reviewed as a minor modification, requiring shorter public notice and skipping the planning commission. Public notices were sent to all owners within the Aspen Glen area.
The proposal was referred to various agencies, including Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Both agencies indicated there would be no anticipated impacts to the eagle nest protection zone in the area. Garfield County’s Emergency Manager also supported the proposal, noting its potential for colocation with emergency services.
Public comments were primarily supportive, with a few expressing concerns.
Tim Kruse, an Aspen Glen resident and traveling physician, supported the cell tower, expressing the dire need for better cell service within the area.
“Unfortunately, because of the unreliable service, even in our neighborhood and along Highway 82, there are often dropped calls between patients who sometimes are having a rough time and need to get referred to the emergency department or not,” Kruse said. “And for that reason and improving that service, I am in wholehearted support of this cell tower.”
Charles Brendale, another Aspen Glen resident, opposed the development.
“All of them (fellow residents) are in favor of this and I get it,” Brendale said. “The one complaint that I constantly hear is the lack of reliable communication, so I understand that and I’m a victim myself… The one element of this tower that I think has received too little consideration is its proximity to residential homes… The fact that the tower is going to be a source of radiofrequency radiation. There is no conclusive evidence that anybody is going to die from it, that anybody is going to get cancer from it or that anybody is going to be medically affected by it, but there’s also no conclusive evidence that you’re not and there has been a lot of research, a lot of scientific papers written about the risk.”
Garfield County Commissioner Tom Jankovsky sympathized with Brendale, but said those in favor of the development outweighed those opposed.
“This is a matter of safety in Aspen Glen and cell coverage is exactly as everyone has stated… it’s a matter of medical safety, fire safety, police protection; it meets all those things,” Jankovsky said. “But also, Mr. Brendale, I hear you on the radiation… that is a concern… but I look through these emails and letters and they were just overwhelmingly in favor of this but I am happy to see that there are concerns about radiation.”
Verizon Wireless representative Lance Bleyhl assured the commissioners that Verizon complies with all FCC regulations regarding emissions. He also addressed concerns about the monopine’s durability and the fire district’s compensation for the site.
The fire district parcel’s unique ownership configuration was confirmed with detailed documentation, including lot creation and title work. The site is set up to allow future use by the fire district and the golf course. The approved tower aims to improve cellular service in the Aspen Glen neighborhood and surrounding areas.
Pending a building permit, construction on the tower is expected to begin in the next 30 days, according to CRFPD Public Information Officer Jenny Cutright.
This story is from PostIndependent.com
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