A 60-metre cellphone tower was approved by Red Deer County despite a nearby resident’s objections.
The Telus tower will be going on a rural property just northeast of the Town of Sylvan Lake.
However, a resident of a homestead about 450 metres from the tower location objected to the application, saying the tower will be too close to her home and the access to her property.
“I strongly believe a communications tower, in this proposed location, would adversely affect our overall well-being,” she said in a letter to the county’s municipal planning commission.
“It would be encroaching on our living space, peace of mind, health, safety and privacy,”
The woman said she was not convinced by information on potential health effects provided by a company involved in locating the tower and asked the county to reject the application.
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Cellphone towers are regulated by Industry Canada, but they consider the input from the county in making location decisions.
Several councillors questioned whether another nearby site could not be found given the opposition to the preferred location.
“This was the only location on the quarter section? It couldn’t have been put on other side closer to the other top corner,” Coun. Dana Depalme asked planning staff.
Development officer Francoise Joynt said alternate locations were not part of the county’s discussions with the applicant.
The proposed location is at a high point on the property.
“This is a convenient and easy location for access as well,” she said, adding moving it elsewhere might require building an access road.
Joynt said that in response to another councillor’s question, Telus would have reached out to the property owner and taken their input into consideration before choosing a site.
Mayor Jim Wood said the tower is located farther from the nearest home than many in the county and communications companies are looking for high points to place towers.
Better cellphone coverage will benefit many county residents, he said.
“I look forward to these towers being put in the community. I hate to see them being stopped.”
The county’s planning commission unanimously approved the tower application.