The city has approved a plan by Cellular South to erect a clock monument at Liberty Park that will double as a cell phone tower for the company.
The monument will stand anywhere from 80 to 110 feet in height with four clock faces at the top.
The base of the monument will be 20 feet in diameter and will include a plaza with seating areas for residents utilizing walking trails at Liberty Park.
Cellular South director of corporate communications Jim Richmond said they were excited about the project and praised the city for working with them.
He said demand for cellular service in the area immediately around Liberty Park has increased dramatically and hopes the monument will help remedy the situation.
"Liberty Park is in the heart of the Madison area," Richmond said. "We want to keep up with the growth and we think this will be a good fit for our company and the city."
On Tuesday the city granted a special exception for conditional use and approved the site plan review for the site plan.
It will be located at the intersection of the Rosa Scott School access street and Liberty Park Drive.
The monument will have a 15 to 20 foot square base consisting of brick. City officials said the brick will keep children from climbing on the monument.
They also said that the clock faces will be fluorescent so they will glow at night and be visible from places like the Malco Grandview Theatre.
Richmond said leaders in cities like Madison are often against approving the construction of cell phone towers in their neighborhoods, but since demand for cell phone coverage is constantly growing Cellular South and other companies must come up with unique ways of providing that coverage.
"We try to be really proactive and work with the city or planning commissions to come up with a good workable solution," Richmond said. "In some cases a full blown cell site is merited and some places it's not. We'll work with whoever we need to in order to find a solution."
While the proposed 100 foot clock monument won't provide the same coverage as a standard 200 foot tower, Richmond said it will greatly augment their service in the immediate area making it easier for residents to use their cell phones in doors or in nearby businesses.
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Clock monument will serve as cell tower at Liberty Park
Source: Madison County Journal
Date: 12/06/2007
