Jefferson County District Judge Brooke Jackson said Wednesday that authorities need additional evidence on the stability of a planned television tower and one near it on Lookout Mountain before he can authorize the new tower to be built.
A consortium of five television stations wants to replace four towers there with a new 730-foot tower that will permit them to convert from analog to digital signals as required by the Federal Communications Commission.
But the city of Golden and various homeowner associations have opposed the tower. They contend it will expose them to excessive radiation, interfere with electronic equipment and decrease their property values.
Jackson said that as a result of a number of hearings, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners rejected the “fundamental health and enjoyment of life issues” raised by the opponents and have approved the tower.
However, Jackson said one key point remains unresolved: whether the new tower could fall onto the current Channel 4 tower, which might then fall on an occupied home that sits 200 feet from the base of that tower.
“Because the court cannot find from the record that the board has received ‘competent evidence’ on this point, the court must again remand the case to the board for the consideration of further evidence,” Jackson said.
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-820-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
