Cell Tower

[Robert_in_NY]

I don't think the judge found them to be Just some Good ol boys this time though/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[DavidInNH]

Mark,

There is one of those on the south side of Rt. 2 between Lunenburg and Harvard, MA. I have absolutely no idea how many times I drove past it before I realized what it was. If you look directly at it, its easy to tell it isn't a real tree, but they did a really nice job with it. I've mentioned to other folks that have never even noticed it.

 

[gws]

FCC has nothing to do with preempting local laws. They stay clear of those issues. FAA has more to do with were a tower is placed.

A city can have a no tower zone, but in a rural area who cares.
If it was a 150ft gain mill no one would be complaining.

 

[Hydraman]

Mebee this is like complaining about damage to the environment all while using the toaster, TV, phone lights, synthetic fabric, automobiles, natural fabric, gasoline, alcohol, diesel fuel, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, yah-da- da-da-da!!!! or complaining about the farmer while we are all 40 lbs. overweight!!! Bye now. Gotta go! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

 

[Anonymous Poster]

BigDave,

If AT&T tried to put a 180 foot tower across the road from me I would be mightly unhappy--especially since they just cancelled me because I moved out of their service area. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Seriously though, the tower will hurt your property values, and if I was in your shoes, I would try and fight it. Sure it's a NIMBY issue, but after all, it's your backyard. About the only thing you and your neighbors can do is to show up at the meeting en mas, and make your objections clear. Remind the local politicians that this is a vote losing issue.

In all probability, it won't make much difference in the end. But it might, so it's worth the fight.

Some info: during a visit to a very rural part of Washington, I came across a political movement to block cell towers because they destroyed the ambience of rural living. I have no idea if the advocates for this idea made any headway though.

Also, just because you have "AT&T" coverage now doesn't mean AT&T has any local cell towers. They have arrangements with several other companies to use each other systems. It still reads AT&T on the phone's screen. They may be starting to put up their own towers now, or it may be something else.

One last thing.

Your local politicians should already have put an appropriate legal process in place to deal with this situation. If they haven't, they need replacing with someone with foresight.

Good luck.

SnowRidge

 

[BigDave]

Some responses & thoughts:

The AT&T coverage is pretty good around here, my builder had AT&T and the only times I couldn't reach him was when he was at a job-site over in the next county. He lives in this area, so I would catch him in many different places. So having the tower here doesn't benefit the local community, but I suspect it benefits folks ten miles away.

My problem with the situation, is the farmer gets $20K for his land, but I lose $20K when it is time to sell my home. My neighbors each lose $20K, ($400K homes) along with the houses on the other side of him. So I am not worried about not making a friend or an enemy, since he's looking for some quick cash, but sticking it to everyone else for a much bigger total loss.

There must some zoning issue, since a public meeting has been called. I would suspect that his farm is in conservation, (he gets a big tax cut) and not automatically allowed to sell any of his land. I don't know if the meeting is just a formality, if if there is potential to stop this action.

I too, like looking at the stars, and I just got my early Cristmas present of a 5" refractor telescope.

My neighbor has suggested that we each put $5K into a combined legal fund to try to stop this if the county approves the tower. It would be up to the farmer & AT&T if they want show us how deep their pockets are. Unless AT&T defends the farmer for free, I doubt he has the stomach for a legal battle.

Yes, it is my backyard, and yes I am the one suffers financial loss, but receive no benefit. I sure if AT&T went around and handed everyone in the neighborhood $20K, there wouldn't be as many complaints.

One of the benefits of house in the woods is you don't need to be bothered by what my neighbors do, but a 180ft tower towers over my 50ft trees.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

If your house is in the woods and you have 50' trees, you will hardly be able to see that tower. The most you might be able to see would be the very tip of the tower. You are going to do what you want and best of luck to you but if AT&T is like Verizon, they have a ton of lawyers that are on their payroll for these sorts of things. They have a fight just about everywhere they go so the lawyers will be there if you push it that far. I think you will end up throwing that $5000 away for your own legal rep's as it won't do any good.

 

[lblair]

Look at it as free entertainment. Here is a shot of the tower kitty corner from me. I dont know how tall it is but its up there. It doesnt bother me that its there, i just wish i was reaping the benifits of the income from it. They have a narrow stone drive down to it about 400 yards and it opens up to about 1 acer of cleard land in the woods. I think our village owns the land its right behind our sewer plant. Another thing i not utilizeing. Im on septic and glad of it!
Larry

 

[Green_in_MI]

Not a fair shot at local politicians to hold them accountable for everything that can happen. Most of them are hard working dedicated people who give up lots of their personal time to do the dirty work others don't want to have the time for. To dismiss them for a single issue like this that they really don't have any control over is just bs.

 

[TedLynn]

A very good reply with some good points. I imagine that our fathers and forefathers did not like the look of the first electric and telephone lines outside their house, but needed the service and agreed to the trade-off. Technology is great. I find the towers much less obnoxious than the many high voltage transmission lines across this valley. Ten years ago, a cell phone was a novelty, now it's almost (or seems) a necessity. Everything of value has a price associated with it. If I didn't want a tower close to me, then I would be the first to cancel my service.

 

[cstocks]

Good point about the high voltage transmission lines. One of the big metal towered high lines crosses my uncle's and my land in Ark. It was built in the early sixties so it has been there most of my life. For all intents and purposes the land that it crosses is good for nothing. Livestock can be run on it and I suppose crops could be planted but no trees will ever be grown there and no dwellings or outbuildings will ever be built there. My grandfather and a couple of other relatives tried to fight the highline going through but when it was all said and done it went through anyway. They got very little compension for the intrusion and I get none.

So, since it is there I have utilized it the best way I know by strategically placing deer stands along its length and keeping it mowed. More deer have been taken on that highline than any where else on the property so at least its presence is not a total waste.

 

[gws]

Property values are very subjective and may or may not hurt your value. If your not planning on selling then it doesnt matter either. We have no idea how far the tower is away from any one, just across the road. Heck that could be 1/4 away. Unless the tower is setting on top of your house values will matter little. Less if your in a rural setting.

Cows grazing in a pasture across from you home might be more of turn off to some city folks looking to buy.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Talk about intrusions. We have 2 high tension power lines about 500 yards apart running the length of our property as well as the I-90. We keep the power lines mowed and it is great hunting areas. The power company lets us do as we please under the lines so we have one section fenced in for our deer. The second line we turn over and plant differnt crops and covers for the wild life. The first power line is a single line on metal towers. The second line is actually two lines set on wood poles. You can see the second line in this pic.

 

[JohnMiller3]

Hi Robert,

What size are the discs you're pulling and how's the overall results with your TN...?

I'm shopping for a larger unit for my JD... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I would love a 10' disc but I found a 12' model. The TN handles it ok in 2wd if the ground is dry. If the ground is soaked I am staying home because the tractor struggles too much to pull it in FWA and in real wet spots I can not make it thru. A 10' model would be great for this tractor and I use to use my neighbors 10' International and the tractor handled it fine. If you want, find a 10' disc and I will trade you

 

[JohnMiller3]

<font color=blue>...find a 10' disc and I will trade you...</font color=blue>

/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Now Robert... does this mean you get my JD5205 and the 10' disc's and I get your TN65 and 12' disc's... /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

I believe that TN65 is very underrated... it produces much more PTO hp (as stated in Nebraska reports) than NH advertises... /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

Now... that is getting more than your money's worth...! /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[gws]

Re: Cell Tower

Big daves responds is a classic example of what happens when city people go to the country. First, they want a big house $400K for a house, give me a break, why would anyone need a house like that. Then they want to impose their will on someones elses land and when they cant do it they throw around money to have lawyers do their work.

Tell the farmer good luck, mind your own business and worry about your land. That ought to be enough to keep anyone busy.


To top it off, Your making a lot of assumptions about the tower. Your said AT&T has good coverage, and that the tower is for AT&T. Is it a cell tower? Will it be a microwave tower? Will it be be a new data, digital or analog service. Cell is not cell service. SO you cant just say they have enough coverage. Compaines dont put 1/2 million dollars into a cell site for no reason.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

But they do have control, that's why they are politicians.

My main point was this: there already should be a process in place anticipating cell tower applications, so that the issue can be handled fairly while the community and adjacent property owner interests are protected to the extent possible. If no process is there, the cell tower interests will steamroll the community using FCC regulations that block blanket prohibitions.

In other words, how a community deals with cell tower applications needs to be planned ahead of time. The FCC has left no other choice.

SnowRidge

 

[Robert_in_NY]

The TN does a great job on the disc. However, I won't trade it off as I have gotten use to the blue paint. Plus I love my dealer as they are extremly friendly and I can sit down there and talk with anyone when I want. Usually the GM comes over to talk with me while I am at the parts counter. JD dealer is too far away for me to just pop in like that and I really don' t care for the salesmans attitude so you will have to keep your green machine for now. (I know that breaks your heart /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif)

The TN has done a lot. It has far exceeded my expectations and is a vast improvement over the 30 series. I do find myself looking for a larger tractor though as with larger equipment and more land I need bigger tractors. Then that leads to larger equipment and more land and more tractors and so forth till I go bankrupt and have a auction where I finally get to meet you as you load my beloved TN on your trailer/w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif

All in all I am happy with my purchase. There were a few quality control problems with the TN series but my dealer and NH has far exceeded my expectations with warranty and repair work. I will buy another NH in the future from my dealer. Probally not till the TN is paid for though but you never know. Have fun.

 

[BigDave]

Re: Cell Tower

I wouldn't quite call myself a city person, I lived in 4 different places in the past ten years, I always had a least a couple of acres and haven't had another house within 300ft of my own.

Gary, I'm not sure where you live but in this part of Maryland $400K buys you a 2800sq.ft. house on five acres and a 45minute drive to work. The land alone was $150K. Near work, the price would have been $600K AND my work isn't in a city!! If I was willing to drive an additional 30-45 minutes, my house would have cost $250K or less. Near work, townhouses are going for $350K.

If the farmer wanted to raise goats instead of cows, or if he wanted to open a roadside stand I wouldn't care, but a cell tower will cost me money. If his actions cost me money, shouldn't I be involved? I assume that's why the county called a public meeting. If he is 100% within his rights to do what he pleases on his own land, he would be able to put up the tower without any public debate.

I bought my land from his sister, and she established covenents on the development and ownership to keep it nice and to protect her interests in her own home which is near by. I suspect that I will see her at the zoning meeting fighting the tower.

The only thing I know about what type of tower it may be, is what the county sent to me, and it called the project "180ft single span AT&T cell tower."

Finally I do know that the cell coverage in the next county over, the border being only 4 miles away, starts to become spotty the further you travel in that county, and I assume that is where they are shooting to provide coverage. Maybe that county has more restrictions, I don't know. Of course, it could be to expand capacity, but I never encountered an all circuits are busy message in this area.

Finally, I welcome everyone's views, and I may not agree with every comment, but they all give me some insight on how I should react. On a pro-tower note I plan to take a close look at the planned location, to see how much impact it will have. I'm not sure how far back his land goes.