VERGENNES TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — The Vergennes Township Zoning Board of Appeals decided Wednesday night that Verizon can go forward with plans to build a cellphone tower.
The about 200-foot tower will stand along Beckwith Drive NE, north of the city of Lowell and near Fallasburg Park, which is home to a historic covered bridge.
A neighbor who lives near that site appealed after the plan was OK’d by the township in February, arguing Verizon didn’t fully follow protocol when it applied and that the township was negligent. The neighbor’s attorney said that Verizon didn’t contact all the parties and organizations that would be impacted, including the Fallasburg Historical Society.
Verizon admitted it never contacted the Fallasburg Historical Society, but said that was because it couldn’t find any contact information for that group.
The Board of Appeals said it found no evidence to support the opponent’s claims. It said Verizon’s failure to contact the historical society was a simple error, not an attempt to shirk the rules.
Some were concerned the tower would negatively affect the rural landscape that residents enjoy and the picturesque view at the covered bridge.
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