Letter to the Editor; County could see five new cell towers

To the Editor:

Around three years ago, T-Mobile received a little more than $19 million in Federal FCC grant money to build multiple towers around the United States. More to the point, they received approximately $3.3 million to build five 300-foot-tall telecommunications towers in Lincoln County. The purpose of the FCC grant was to increase cell phone reception in rural areas. Now, T-Mobile and their tower builder 52 Eighty, are applying for Conditional Use Permits (CUP) in Lincoln County to erect those towers. The five proposed locations are: about one mile south of Creston, on the Creston Butte; about one thousand feet east of Harrington, just east of the Harrington Elementary School; about two miles north east of Hawk Creek and two miles straight west of Seven Bays, on Mule Rd; about 13 miles north of Odessa, near the intersection of Weishaar Road and Hwy 21; and about 10 miles north of Wilbur, just north of Speigle Canyon Road.

52 Eighty submitted the CUP Applications during the first week of August 2014. The County made public notice of the CUP Applications and Washington State Environmental Act (SEPA) Checklists as quietly as possible on August 14, 2014. Public comments were due on the SEPA Checklists on August 28, 2014. To my knowledge, the County received very few comments. Following the SEPA Checklist comment period, Lincoln County Land Services issued a Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance (MDNS) so that the applications could proceed to the CUP approval phase. On Sept. 22, on their website, Land Services made public notice of the CUP Public Hearing to be held on Oct. 9. There should be a notice this week in the Davenport Times.

Regarding the tower north of Wilbur, I made SEPA Checklist comments, and then appealed the MDNS. Consequently, Land Services withdrew that MDNS for the tower north of Wilbur, but the MDNS is still in place for the other four towers. 52 Eighty will most likely resubmit a CUP Application for the tower north of Wilbur in the very near future.

I made comments and appealed the MDNS for the tower north of Wilbur for two main reasons. First, I firmly believe that 52 Eighty lied on their application. In their SEPA Checklist (dated July 28) and CUP Application (dated Aug. 5), they indicated a proposed easement across my family’s ground. This is an easement 52 Eighty had never asked for and that we would never grant. On Aug. 24, someone unloaded an excavator, drove across our CRP grass, and then surveyed and staked the proposed tower site. In fairness, 52 Eighty did finally contact us during the last week of August, but only after we filed a trespassing complaint with the Sheriff’s Office and sent a letter to 52 Eighty informing them that we would not tolerate trespass. The fact remains, however, that 52 Eighty tried to get Land Services to approve the proposed tower based on a totally misrepresented access route. The more realistic access route will be new gravel road from Keller Ferry to the proposed site, just north of Speigle Canyon Road.

Second, the proposed 300-foot tower north of Wilbur and the mile and a half long access road will both be in full view of the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area and Keller Ferry. This radio tower and access road will unacceptably intrude into the National Recreation Area view shed. This tower and road will destroy the scenic beauty of Lake Roosevelt and the surrounding Columbia River area. For the nearly one million Americans that enjoy Lake Roosevelt and its pristine views each year, this tower will constitute a distasteful corporate eye-sore in the form of an antenna-strung silver tower during the day, FAA required flashing red anti-collision lights at night, and a vicious scar of a road leading to it.

In conclusion, I understand that cell phone reception represents communication, connectivity, and safety. Nevertheless, I also know that these towers have secondary adverse effects on the scenic environment and property values, and that not everyone agrees with their installation. The citizens of Lincoln County have a right to hear both sides of the issue, and more importantly, have a right to comment. The SEPA comment period has come and gone with very little public knowledge or input.

The CUP approval hearing is scheduled for Oct. 9, but I am concerned no one is aware of it. I do not want the citizens of Lincoln County to miss their right to participate in the CUP approval process. Is a tower coming to a location near you? Will it be next to your school? Will it adversely affect you? Look for the notice of public hearing this week; Land Services will post it in the Davenport Times. Contact your County Commissioner; tell him what you think. Contact the Land Services Office; make a comment. Make sure your county government hears your voice and knows what you think about these towers.

Ben Wyborney

Wilbur