Cell tower dropped

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Few people want a cell phone tower nearby. In addition to being unsightly and lowering property values, there are concerns about the human and animal health impacts. Recently a group of citizens from Eureka Springs and Garfield joined together to successfully campaign against a cell tower proposed by CMI Acquisitions, a company representing Verizon, on US 62 near Martin Greer Candies.

Eight people spoke to the Benton County Planning Commission May 15 in opposition to an application for a variance by the company to erect a large cell tower.

Greer, who was a teacher for 42 years before starting Martin Greer Candies about 20 years ago, has a doctorate in a research field.

“I’m not going into this blindly,” he said. “All of us who live out here are more than 80 years old. I feel like they can go down the road somewhere and find a better spot that would not be so near many elderly people in not the best of health. They can find places that are more sparsely populated.”

Greer said he and his neighbors live in the area, rather than in a city close to a hospital, because they feel the country is a healthier environment.

“All we were asking for was to have a safe environment here,” Greer said.

Susan and Kai Pang, who split their time between St. Louis, Mo., and a home near Garfield, both testified against the variance that would have allowed the cell tower. Susan Pang said that CMI was claiming there is a need for the cell tower even though there is about zero population growth in the area that is near a national forest.

“At the meeting I said box turtles don’t use cell phones and there’s no growth there,” Pang said. “Every neighbor next to and across spoke out against it. The Arkansas Master Naturalists spoke out against it because they have better ideas on growing natives there for conservation purposes. No one wants to work right under a 200-foot cell tower. Once we destroy the beauty, it’s gone and you can’t get it back.”

She said cell tower companies try to limit public input by doing things like sending a certified letter only a week before the hearing and then changing the date a day before without telling anyone. The Pangs were on their way from St. Louis to Bentonville when a friend told them the first meeting May 1 meeting had been postponed.

Pang also said that the cell phone company tried to use the argument that the new cell tower is needed for adequate coverage for 911 emergency calls. However, she said cell service is not a problem in the area. She also protested that they called the nearby Mark Twain National Forest a state park.

Kai Pang spoke to the commissioners about high altitude platform solutions that he said could make cell towers obsolete in a just a few years. Companies such as HAPSMobile and Alphabet’s Loon are planning to use balloons and drones 11 miles above the ground to provide Internet and phone services.

The Pangs, along with Eureka Springs residents Faith and Michael Shah, have protested that cell towers projects can move forward with little public notice. Michael Shah said he thinks what turned the tide in their favor was relying on information from Arkansas Parks & Tourism about the billions of dollars of revenue and thousands of jobs provided by tourism.

“This year Northwest Arkansas was up 22.4 percent in revenue for tourism over the previous year,” Shah said. “Arkansas is branded as the Natural State. People come here to see beauty and enjoy something different. This year Arkansas is promoting this beauty in the natural state in the United Kingdom, Australia and Asia. The state spending $150 million to promote tourism is being reinforced by Alice Walton with Crystal Bridges and related arts and music venues, and her grandsons, Steuart and Thomas, who have spent millions of dollars to establish Northwest Arkansas as the number one off-road biking attraction in the U.S. All is related to the beauty and the uniqueness of Arkansas. When you stick up these cell phone towers that are duplicating other existing towers, you are negating the purpose for people coming here.”

Shah said while the people who lease their land to cell phone companies make money, it doesn’t compensate you for the loss of beauty, serenity, the loss of property values for nearby residents, or the electromagnetic radiation.

“Science is not complete on how cell tower radiation affects humans,” Shah said, “We do know it affects bird reproduction within 200 meters of towers. If you put a cell phone on the ground, ants will move their mound. Bees are adversely affected. About 6.8 million birds every year die each year from collisions with towers and the wire cable supports. The electromagnetic waves confuse navigation systems of birds, bees and other flying species.”