NWA Benton County Conservation District will continue to have a small population because land has been acquired over past seven years to build an extensive conservation corridor that spreads from Walton Preserve to Devil’s Eyebrow to Indian Creek Road to scenic US Hwy. 62 to the Mark Twain National Forest to Carroll County.
Traveling from Carroll County on scenic US 62 towards Rogers, it is obvious that there are a multitude of cell phone towers in Gateway and Garfield; towns that have tiny populations and will always have small populations.
So, surprise… we get a notice that there will be a meeting on May 1 with the Planning Board at 6 p.m. in Bentonville, Quorum Courtroom, 3rd floor, County Administrative building, 215 E. Central Avenue, Suite 324. CMI Acquisitions/Verizon is planning a minimum 25-year lease to see through a 250 ft. self-supported telecommunications tower and two associated setback variances for the proposed tower location across the street from the most popular and appreciated small business in the whole entire area, Martin Greer’s Candies. Folks on Trip Advisor speak of the quaintness of the area, the “OMG delicious sweets and the soothing feel of nature all around.” Mark Twain National Forest is right across the highway, so no wonder!
On the notice, there is no mention if this will be a 5G tower that will emit radio frequency at ultra high frequencies with ultra high intensity. But no matter, whatever level of radiation is emitted from this proposed tower, it seems that there are many locations that are more suitable if, in fact, a tower is really needed in an area that will never be a metropolis. There’s much land around there that a human likely never walked on before, and a rougher terrain is hard to find.
But being open-minded, at the junction of Indian Creek Road and US 62 sits 150 acres owned by Carroll-Boone Water District that hasn’t much going on but utility operations. Perfect. It is on high ground and putting a tower there won’t kill the ambience and OMG happiness and smiles emanating from candy land nestled in a pristine forest area. Imagine a monstrous cell phone tower there. Imagine the pain this inflicts on nature, neighbors and visitors who come to escape this very kind of thing.
We get signals even while hiking deep in the woods where we take an occasional photo of a wildflower, bird or butterfly. Cell phone towers that double the height of the tallest trees in the forest that it will sit right next to have no place on the proposed residential lot. I doubt that anyone is watching Netflix or uploading data while taking their Harley Davidson down memory lane to a land that time forgot traveling down scenic US 62 from Bentonville to Carroll County. The conservation district is amazing. It’s peaceful. It’s Goldilocks – just right the way it is.
This isn’t a growing area except for the populations of box turtles, wild turkey and other wildlife. The land is best suited for conservation and not for more of the same thing that we are all trying to get away from every now and then.
Susan Pang
Garfield
The whole conservation area is a treasure. 2 towers were added recently. There will be more and more as now it’s front lawns they are after. I suggest we all help ea other as no one knows whose next.
Thank you Susan Pang
The Devils’ Eyebrow is a natural treasure – no cell towers