WEDNESDAY, JULY 13,1994

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13,1994

Tower In Town ? No

The proposal by Cellular One to build a 250-foot tall tower to serve its customers and also be put at the disposal of the sheriffs department for dispatching deputies, and fire and rescue is intriguing. However, the proposed location on the courthouse lawn is appaling. i

The current 80-foot tower is quite visible from Gay , Street in front of the courthouse, but it is not obtrusive. A 250-foot tower would be visible from almost anywhere in town and very obtrusive.

Sheriff John Henry Woodward said that when the current radio tower was installed it could reach to percent of the county, but it covers even less of the county now. He t estimated that the 250-foot tower would enable him to coyer 80 to 90 percent of the county. i

Certainly it would not make sense to allow Cellular One 1 to build such a tower just so a few people could drive around in the county talking to people on their car telephones... However if the same tower would indeed enable dispatchers ' to reach squad cars and rescue equipment in almost all parts of the county, and Cellular One is willing to essentially give the tower to the county, it should be built, but not in town.

We suggest that a location at the County Park be i considered. It could be reached either by wire from the jail or by radio signal from the existing tower. '

However some have said the proposed tower won’t increase the area reached to 80 to 90 percent of the county. They suggest only towers on such prominent locations as Red Oak Mountain could give the needed coverage. We are in no position to judge this debate. We believe first the county needs expert advice from an engineering firm on how much actual gain in area covered the dispatch system can expect from Cellular One’s proposed tower.

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