Board of Adjustment Denies Appeal For Construction Of Communications Tower Near Silver City

The Mills County Zoning Board of Adjustment has denied an appeal from Papillion, Neb.-based Great Plains Land Services (Cloud One Services, LLC) for placement of a 254-foot communications tower on private property near the Silver City Cemetery and the intersection of 285th and 287th Streets. The proposed site of the tower is on private property owned by William Hunt.

The board denied the appeal in a unanimous vote Thursday night after hearing a presentation from Great Plains Land Services spokesperson Michelle Roth and comments from Silver City residents who oppose construction of the tower at the proposed site.

The tower would be part of FirstNet, a nationwide public safety broadband network created by Congress to provide first responders with enhanced communication tools and technology. Great Plains Land Services is a regional agent for AT&T, the communications provider selected to be the nationwide provider for the FirstNet network.

Thursday’s action came two months after the board originally denied a conditional use permit to build the tower on the Hunt property. Board of Adjustment members made it clear they support the construction of a tower that will improve communications technology and data coverage for first responders and Silver City residents, but they are opposed to the proposed location because of its close proximity to other private residences. Board members encouraged Great Plains Land Services to find an alternate location for the tower that will have less impact on surrounding property owners.

“I think we all agree the citizens and our first responders need this tower,” the board’s vice chair Sandi Winton stated. “They needed this tower years ago. If the Hunt family did not want to lease this land, what would they do? Would they just say, ‘the heck with it, we’re just not going to put one there.’ No, they would go to plan B, C, D, whatever they would need to do.”

Winton, who made the motion to deny the appeal, said the proposal fails to meet three of the county’s zoning code performance standards that must be met as part of the application process. Winton cited standards pertaining to public safety and the impact the tower could have on the general welfare of the community and surrounding properties.
Board of Adjustment chair Cory Leick encouraged Great Plains Land Services to come back to the board with an alternative location. He encouraged the company to include representatives of the Silver City community in the site selection process.

“We all believe that we need this for the 911 capabilities and also secondary for the cellular (service),” he said.
Nick Speck and Jeff Goos were among the Silver City area citizens who spoke out against the proposed site for the tower. Speck and his family live directly north of the site and Goos resides across the road. Goos said the tower would fit the definition of a nuisance because it would affect the quiet enjoyment of nearby residents.

Roth said seven possible sites for the tower were looked at, but only a handful are viable. The Hunt property, located on top of a hill south of Silver City, was the preferred location. She said there are terrain and floodplain issues with other locations considered in the Silver City area. Company officials noted that placing the tower in a lower location would reduce the coverage area of service in and around Silver City.

Mills County Board of Supervisors chair Richard Crouch said he wants to see Great Plains Land Services work with the local community in finding a solution that provides enhanced communication services for both first responders and the residents of the Silver City area.