Summary
This document consists of public comment letters submitted to the Leelanau Township Board ahead of its September 8, 2026 meeting, where a lease for a proposed Verizon Wireless cell tower on Braman Hill was placed on the agenda as an action item. The letters reflect sharply divided community opinion following an August 13, 2026 public hearing on the proposal.
Public Comments
Robert H. Shirkey, a year-round resident, wrote in support of the tower, citing AT&T's planned elimination of landline service and the risks to emergency communication; he stated the view from Braman Hill would not be affected.
Linda Coleman Shirkey, of N Island View Drive, also supported using Braman Hill, describing her household's reliance on unreliable VOIP service. She urged the Board, if it rejects Braman Hill, to find an alternative site.
Don (last name not given) opposed the Braman Hill tower, arguing the previously studied Kitchen Rd. site was superior and should be revisited, and praised Doug Whitley's "New Approach" proposal.
Christine Kay, a seasonal resident since 1977, described repeated communication failures at her home and supported adding a tower to serve the northern peninsula.
Barry Nemon, a Gardner Road resident for 35 years, said Starlink service drops calls and urged the Board to find a reliable solution, calling a tower "a life line."
Doug Whitley submitted a 10-page essay opposing rushing the Braman Hill lease. He noted that at the August 13, 2026 hearing, every speaker but one (himself) opposed the tower. He proposed the Township pause the private initiative and have the Planning Commission or a Citizens Advisory Committee pre-identify acceptable tower sites for inclusion in the Master Plan, citing Empire Township's Commercial Development Zone as a model.
Infrastructure Projects
Vertical Bridge Holdings, LLC, on behalf of Verizon Wireless, has proposed leasing a 7,500 square foot (75'x75') site on Township-owned Braman Hill to build a tower supporting collocation for three wireless providers. The Township Board held a public hearing on the lease August 13, 2026, and placed the lease as an action item on the September 8, 2026 agenda. Background cited: the Planning Commission rejected the County's special land use permit for a taller Kitchen Road tower on February 27, 2025; the existing Northport Fire Hall tower (195 feet, built 1994) only carries AT&T equipment; and AT&T plans to discontinue Northport landline service September 1, 2027.
Financial Summary
Whitley's essay states towers cost "several hundred thousand dollars" to build; Verizon/Vertical Bridge would fund the Braman Hill tower privately, with the Township benefiting from long-term lease revenue. By contrast, the earlier Kitchen Road project was publicly funded, drawing on County and Township funds plus a financial commitment from Cherryland Electric Cooperative.
Action Items
The Township Board was scheduled to act on the Braman Hill lease at the September 8, 2026 meeting. Whitley recommended the Board instead pause the lease decision and task the Planning Commission or a newly formed Citizens Advisory Committee with identifying pre-approved tower sites and engaging directly with Verizon and T-Mobile on siting criteria.