Cell tower hearing postponed
CHLOE COCHRAN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 months, 3 weeks AGO
Photo by ANNISA KEITH
PRIEST RIVER — A conditional use permit for a cell tower located near Northgate Road has been postponed by the Bonner County hearing examiner. A new hearing date is still under discussion.
The Weis Towers Communications Tower was set to go before the county hearing examiner on Oct. 15 but was canceled. At the time of publishing, it is unclear when the application will be reviewed. The next hearing examiner meeting is Nov. 5.
The proposed cell tower would be located on a 5-acre parcel in Priest River, zoned Agriculture/Forest-10.
Applicants and property owner North Flex LLC indicate the tower will be 190 feet tall and will include an equipment building and a 50-by-50-foot chain-link fence, according to the CUP application.
In a staff report prepared by the Bonner County Planning Department, four county agencies commented on the file. Among the comments, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Forest Service shared requests regarding design implementations and road considerations.
According to the report, the IDFG acknowledged the height of the tower would minimize the threat of bird collisions. However, due to the proposed tower being close to two creeks, the tower would be in a proximity ideal for piscivorous birds of prey to nest. The state organization recommends the tower be designed to minimize nesting.
The U.S. Forest Service additionally asked that the applicant, North Flex LLC, become a member of the Quartz Mountain Road Users Association — which holds a Forest Service permit that allows for the use and maintenance of Quartz Mountain Road. According to the Forest Service, the proposed tower’s access road crosses approximately 700 feet of National Forest System land.
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