A proposal for a 200-foot communications tower in the Hillcrest neighborhood has sparked so much controversy that the Denver City Council put the brakes on the project Tuesday night.
The council, at Councilwoman Peggy Lehmann’s urging, delayed to June 5 a public hearing on an ordinance authorizing six new towers in the city.
The city’s safety officials say the new towers are needed to correct “dead spots” in the city’s radio systems.
Five of the six proposed towers are in less visible areas, such as on existing buildings. But in the Hillcrest area, in southeast Denver, the city plans to build a roughly 20-story tower.
“No one is going to win any public relations awards with how this was handled,” said Councilman Charlie Brown. “To be candid, the way it evolved would be a case study of how not to communicate.”
Councilman Michael Hancock also supported the delay but cautioned that the new telecommunications towers are needed to avert a catastrophe. He further stressed that federal money for the project also is at stake.
Lehmann has scheduled a meeting for May 18 in her district to deal with the issue and see if other alternative sites can be found.
Councilman Doug Linkhart urged city officials to “leave no stone unturned” in their efforts to find a better location.
