Lansing will implement a new ordinance restricting the placement of cell phone towers throughout the city following a dispute over the appearance of a T-Mobile tower proposed for Grand Haven Manor.

 

The tower will be placed in the wooded lot in the southern most corner of the Grand Haaven Manor senior housing development, located directly across from Averill Woods, a residential community in Lansing’s 3^rd Ward.

 

The tower itself will stand at 125 feet, making it the tallest structure in the area. As a result the residents of Averill Woods are in an uproar.

 

Ann McGill, a member of the Averill Woods Neighborhood Association, says that not only does the tower pose as an aesthetic eyesore; it is a safety threat as well due to the number of children in the area.

 

The neighborhood association will be working with the city to create a moratorium that would stall the construction of all cell towers for six months. This would provide the mayor’s office as well as Averill Woods time to create an ordinance regulating the towers.

 

3^rd Ward councilmember, A’Lynne Robinson, asserted that no one on either side was necessarily against the tower, merely its placement and is height.

 

If a moratorium is not passed, both T-Mobile and Averill Woods will look to settle and come to an agreement regarding the height of the tower and possible compromises between both parties.

 

A public hearing will be held April 30 to discuss the details of a resolution; however, both a blog and a newsletter will be created to update the public on the issue’s progress.