By Graham Sweeney, Editor
The town’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen will consider overturning a decision made earlier this month by the Design Review Commission related to waivers for a new cell tower that would be located at 10069 Bushrod Cove, which is east of Houston Levee and north of Halle Pkwy.
Board members will discuss the matter, which falls under the town’s “aesthetic plan,” next Monday night during its regularly scheduled meeting.
In 2019, the Board adopted an amendment to the zoning ordinance regarding the placement of “small wireless facilities” in the public right-of-way.
To date, no new cell tower permits have been approved since the ordinance was adopted.
Verizon Wireless began requesting waivers to the Collierville aesthetic plan back in June. However, the application was denied because “the plans were not revised to address local requirements in the town code.”
Verizon reapplied in September and asked the Design Review Commission for waivers from three aspects of the town code. The Commission denied all three, “citing a desire for Verizon to work with the neighbors on a potential support structure design and location that would be minimally impactful on the Bushrod neighborhood.”
Verizon then applied to have four small wireless facilities in the northwest quadrant of Collierville and requested waivers from the town’s aesthetic plan.
Three of the waivers were granted. However, the waiver for Bushrod Cove was denied.
The other three waivers were for wooden poles along Houston Levee and Wolf River Blvd. These will be designed to “blend in with the existing wooden poles that support overhead utilities and likely not be perceptible to nearby residents,” according to staff reports.
“The proposed changes at issue to the Bushrod Cove location are more noticeable than the other cases and include a taller pole, a wider pole base and equipment atop the pole and near the ground atypical of concrete light poles in this area,” wrote Jamie Groce, Collierville’s Town Planner.
However, with the Comprehensive Wireless Broadband Investment, Deployment and Safety Act of 2018, the state’s legislature preempted local goverments from passing regulations and ordinances prohibiting the installation of 5G technology based on environmental or health effects.
“Because they own most light poles in the public right-of-ways and provide electrical services to small wireless facilities,” said Groce, “MLGW has a significant role in the design and location of (SWFs).”
At a Nov. 10 meeting, Verizon cited MLGW as a reason why they could not alter the new potential support structure and its related equipment to address town standards.
“Applications for (SWFs) must provide proof to the town that MLGW has issued an address and approved the small cell design.”
The town’s Board will decide next week if the Design Review Commission “acted in error when considering the waiver.”
