Spanish Main solicits cell tower

STEVE REID
Editor & Publisher
sreid@lbknews.com

Spanish Main Yacht Club Board Members have a vision for the future, and it may involve installing a cell phone tower. Spanish Main resident Tom Freiwald says he was asked by the board to investigate what would be required in installing a cell phone tower at Spanish Main.

“The board members asked me to talk with the town and investigate what the regulations are for placing a cell phone tower at Spanish Main,” said Friewald.

Freiwald said the whole subject began because there is already a 65-foot-tall television tower on the property that residents have been accustomed to for years. The existing tower is not suitable to be used for a cell tower, so a new tower would have to be constructed. According to a letter written by Freiwald to Planning, Building and Zoning Department Director Monica Simpson, Commissioner David Brenner recently visited Spanish Main for a look at the location of the television tower and offered his opinion. He recommended Freiwald discuss the issue further with Simpson to determine what zoning issues would need to be addressed to allow the installation of a cell tower.

Freiwald said he has a meeting scheduled for August with Simpson to discuss the idea of a cell tower at Spanish Main in detail, but according to e-mail correspondence between Freiwald and Simpson, Simpson pointed out that the zoning code would have to be amended to allow a cell phone tower to be built in a residential zone.

“As you are probably aware, the current zoning code only allows personal wireless service facilities other than antennas to be located on land with the zoning classification of Institutional (INS).  In order for the Town to consider an application (site plan and special exception) for the construction of a cell phone tower at 5700 Gulf of Mexico Drive, the zoning code, Section 158. 200 Personal wireless service facilities, would need to be amended. The zoning code amendment can be initiated by an individual or by the Town Commission:  if an individual makes an application to amend the Zoning Code, the Town Commission (after recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Board) must consider the application; on the other hand, the Town Commission may or may not take it upon themselves to consider amending the Zoning Code if a formal application is not made by an individual—in other words, the Town Commission may choose to not take up the matter for whatever reason,” wrote Simpson.

In an e-mail to Town Manager Bruce St. Denis, Freiwald addressed the zoning issue by suggesting the solution of re-zoning the shuffleboard courts and putting green from residential to commercial.

Freiwald wrote, “Current zoning requirements of Longboat Key do not allow cell towers on residential property. However, the Town Commission and/or Planning and Zoning Board could change the zoning requirements if all parties agreed that having a tower at Spanish Main is in the best interests of all parties. Another option is that the area where the existing t.v. tower is located is a patch of lawn with never-used shuffleboard courts and an old putting green. Perhaps there is a way to rezone that parcel to a “commercial zone.”

Freiwald seemed optimistic regarding the viability of the cell phone tower plan, and wrote, “Bruce, based on our preliminary review of the requirements and regulations, I do not see any ‘show stoppers’ that would prevent the installation of a tower at Spanish Main. However, at this time, I am simply collecting basic information for initial review by the Spanish Main Board of Directors.”

Freiwald said he will know more after the August meeting with Simpson.