Summary
This document consists exclusively of written public comments submitted to the Leelanau Township Planning Commission ahead of the January 23, 2025 public hearing on a Special Land Use Permit application for a 195-200 foot communications tower proposed at 11015 Kitchen Road. The vast majority of submissions strongly support the tower, citing public safety and emergency communication needs, while a smaller number of residents near the proposed site raised concerns about aesthetics and impact on the character of the area. No commission votes or decisions are recorded in this document, as it is solely a compilation of correspondence received prior to the hearing.
Public Comments
The Leelanau Township Fire Department (Fire Chief Hugh Cook, Deputy Chief Eric Hallett, Assistant Chief, Captains Steve Watson and Tom VanPelt, Lieutenants Adam Ziter and Andrew Frank) wrote in favor of the tower, citing emergency responses at Peterson Park and Cathead Bay where lack of cell service delayed calls for help, and noting the tower would serve approximately 400 parcels.
Numerous Cathead Bay and Northport-area residents submitted letters supporting the tower for safety reasons, including Robert and Suzanne Racey, Peter Goodrich, Clinton Sampson, Dr. Daniel Hass, T. Michael Jackson, Paul and Sally McConville, Kevin and Cynthia Jackson, Paul Minshull, Gary Roll, Kathryn Schaeffer, David Freeman, Alix Mikesell, Stephanie Weeks, and Phil Mikesell, among others. Common themes included personal experiences of being unable to reach 911 during emergencies, high costs of maintaining landlines, and the argument that a few opposing residents should not outweigh safety needs of the broader community.
Ty Wessell, County Commissioner for Leelanau Township for 11 years, submitted a letter (also endorsed by Doug Whitley) detailing the County's 2021 study of connectivity gaps, a resident survey, and consultation with emergency responders and tower engineers. He stated a GIS analysis found 400 additional addresses would gain "good service," and cited a Verizon radio engineer's statement that the service gap "cannot be resolved unless a communications tower is constructed."
Gina Harder, a former planning commission member and township board member, submitted an extensive written comment arguing the commission must limit its review strictly to ordinance criteria (Articles 18, 12.6, 4, and 15), addressing point-by-point concerns raised about stormwater runoff, farmland impact, tower lighting, co-location requirements, wetland setbacks, and tower materials. She argued that alternative locations, alternative technology, and provider commitments are not valid review criteria, and proposed a five-step review process for future Special Land Use Permit applications.
Anne Harper submitted a letter of support summarizing funding sources and reiterating the Township board's unanimous 5-0 vote to allocate $100,000 in ARPA funds toward the project.
Opposition and skepticism came primarily from residents near the proposed site. Jamie Morse wrote a lengthy letter (responding to Doug Whitley's prior comments) arguing the tower would harm Northport's character, comparing it to overdevelopment he witnessed in Naperville, Illinois, and advocating for a "non-intrusive 5G network" instead. He also questioned Whitley's fitness to offer financial advice given Whitley's prior role as Illinois Director of Revenue during that state's fiscal crisis. Doug Whitley responded defending his position as not personal, arguing 5G is impractical for the township's rural geography, and reiterating the safety case for the tower.
David Brigham raised questions about whether residents truly lack emergency service connectivity and sought clarification from Paris Morse and Ty Wessell; the exchange included forwarded propagation maps from Leelanau County's Emergency Management Director Matt Ansorge and GIS Analyst Rob Herman confirming approximately 400 additional addresses would gain "good" signal with the new tower compared to the existing Northport tower.
Rebecca Teahen submitted a question asking Steve Patmore to confirm whether costs were truly shared by the county, township, and Cherryland Electric as claimed by Whitley; no response is included in this document.
Infrastructure Projects
The central infrastructure item discussed throughout the comments is the proposed Kitchen Road communications tower, a 195-200 foot structure that would replace an existing approximately 65-foot tower on the site. The tower is proposed to be galvanized steel (non-shiny per ordinance requirements), require no FAA lighting (per an FAA aeronautical evaluation letter included in the application), and be designed for co-location by multiple carriers (Verizon, T-Mobile, and others). Verizon submitted a letter of interest stating the tower is needed to resolve a "significant service gap," and Cherryland Electric Cooperative has committed to leasing space and modernizing operations. The application included engineering plans (Machin Engineering) for stormwater and erosion control, a sediment basin, and drainage improvements near Kitchen Road, along with an environmental screening by Environmental Assessment Specialists, Inc. finding no wetlands or forests would be impacted. A letter from the Road Commission stated any road damage from construction would be covered by contractor's insurance. No commission votes or final decisions on the permit are recorded in this document.
Other Business
Several comments addressed alternative technologies (VoIP/Ooma, Wi-Fi calling, 5G) as potential substitutes for a new tower, with residents David Brigham and Doug Whitley debating the practicality of VoIP and 5G solutions for the rural area. Anne Maginot suggested towers could be disguised as trees for aesthetic purposes and that local churches could potentially generate funds by hosting towers, though these were resident suggestions, not commission actions.
Financial Summary
Multiple letters describe the tower's funding as coming from three sources: the Leelanau County tower fund (sustained by lease fees from the county's existing tower system), Cherryland Electric Cooperative ($150,000 committed in exchange for leasing space on county-owned towers), and Leelanau Township ($100,000 from federal ARPA grant funds received in 2021, per a unanimous township board vote by resolution dated January 26, 2022, according to Gina Harder and Anne Harper's letters). Anne Harper's letter cites total required funding of $550,000 as having been assembled. Rebecca Teahen's comment questions the accuracy of the cost-sharing claim, but no confirmation or denial appears in the document.
Action Items
- Gina Harder recommended the Planning Commission adopt a structured five-step review process for the Special Land Use Permit (ordinance discussion, applicant presentation, commissioner questions, public hearing, and deliberation/vote), though this is a resident recommendation, not a commission decision.
- Rebecca Teahen's question to Steve Patmore about the accuracy of the funding cost-share claim remains unanswered in this document.
- The document notes the review period has already exceeded the 90-day statutory allotment, with the applicant having consented to additional review time.
- No formal commission action, vote, or decision on the Special Use Permit is recorded within this document, as it is limited to public comments received prior to the January 23, 2025 hearing.