West Central cell tower site relocated
March 9, 2008 by Dave MacDonald
From the Journal Gazette this morning…
West Central residents no longer need to worry about a Centennial Wireless tower blocking the view of the General Electric Co. sign.
The locally based wireless carrier shifted its proposed antenna off Broadway to another downtown location in response to the neighborhood’s outcry, said Phil Laux, senior vice president of marketing for Centennial Wireless.
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The site would replace Centennial’s proposed antenna south of Martin and Hendricks streets, near Broadway. The company that wanted to build the 150-foot tower, GenCom Inc., withdrew that controversial proposal at the Fort Wayne Board of Zoning Appeals meeting last month. A company representative told the board GenCom wanted more time to work with opponents from the West Central Neighborhood Association.
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The proposed Fairfield Avenue tower will not provide as much downtown wireless capacity as the first site, but Laux said it should still meet future needs as cell phone use there grows. Harrison Square, the $125 million downtown redevelopment project, is expected to generate more cell phone traffic in that area.
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But Carolyn DeVoe, former president of the Southwest Area Partnership, said the project could still be improved. Antennas could be mounted on downtown high-rises or on two proposed 100-foot towers that would serve as architectural features for Headwaters Park. That would avoid the need for wireless carriers to dot downtown with towers, she said.
DeVoe said she would prefer to see the city find a comprehensive solution for cell tower placement instead of letting companies install them one by one.”
Here’s one comprehensive solution: Integrate cell tower technology into a Headwaters Park downtown aerial tram system. As new cell towers are needed near Glenbrook, IPFW, Dupont, Jefferson Pointe, and Southtown, extend the tram system to these areas.
Cellular companies such as Verizon and Centennial Wireless offset the tower construction costs, while private funds are raised for the transfer stations near the Historic Old Fort, Wells Street Pedestrian Bridge, and Harrison Square.
2 Responses to “West Central cell tower site relocated”
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Dave,
Perhaps you’ve touched on this before but could you explain how the aerial tram is paid for?
Jeff Pruitt
Jeff,
Geoff Paddock had proposed bringing back the pyramids for Headwaters Park. These were aspects of the original plan that were shelved due to budget concerns, the proposed cost of which was $500,000 each. He proposed integrating cell technology and having the cellular companies pitch in to offset the cost.
My suggestion incorporates the same approach, but substitutes tram support towers for the pyramids on opposite ends of the park. Cell phone companies contribute to the tower construction costs while private funds are raised to construct the terminals connecting the separate lines. Visitors access the system via these terminals which I’ve proposed would be near the Old Fort, Wells Street corridor, and atop the new parking garage of Harrison Square.
Alternatively, a private company could create the entire system. Costs are offset by cellular companies leasing space on the towers while tram riders pay a user fee. A user fee further pays the ongoing costs of operation as well as the terminal construction costs.
I understand that construction costs for Headwaters Park were principally financed with private fundraising efforts. The same approach could be incorporated here with corporate sponsorships financing the majority of terminal construction costs.
I am against using public tax dollars, even though some might encourage their use is appropriate. Tax funding should always be the last resort, not the first. Other funding options should be exhausted before using tax dollars is considered.