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Cell tower reconsideration Thursday

KAYE THORNBRUGH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 8 months AGO
by KAYE THORNBRUGH
Kaye Thornbrugh is a second-generation Kootenai County resident who has been with the Coeur d’Alene Press for six years. She primarily covers Kootenai County’s government, as well as law enforcement, the legal system and North Idaho College. | January 11, 2023 1:05 AM

COEUR d’ALENE — Kootenai County commissioners will meet Thursday night to reconsider a proposed cell tower off Potlatch Hill Road.

The hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Kootenai County Administration Building. There will be public comment.

Commissioners voted 2-1 in October to approve a conditional-use permit for landowner Thomas Ingle, AT&T and SmartLink to build a “wireless communications facility to provide the latest 5G and 4G LTE technology.”

Before its approval, the proposal received overwhelmingly negative feedback from the public.

The most frequent concern expressed by residents was about the potential for lightning strikes and limited evacuation routes along a single-lane dirt road.

The proposed tower would be located south of the intersection of East Potlatch Hill Road and East Sky Harbor Drive. It will consist of a 150-foot lattice tower and ground equipment on a 7.13-acre parcel of land in the agricultural suburban zone.

The tower would be within a 70-by-70-foot fenced area accessed from Potlatch Hill Road. The site is currently vacant land located within the city of Coeur d’Alene.

The public can also watch the meeting live via Zoom or YouTube.

Links are on the meeting agenda which can be viewed on cdapress.com.

Jan. 12 Board of County Commissioners meeting agenda

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