Planning Commission gives thumbs-down to
hotly contested communications tower
BY TERRY SCHMIDA
 
The 200-foot monopole communications tower proposed for Upper Sugarloaf Key was rejected by the county Planning Commission, during a hearing held Nov. 18 at the Marathon Government Center.
The final tally was 3 to 1, with only District 2 Commissioner Beth Ramsay-Vickrey voting in favor of granting the permit.
District 3’s Liz Lustberg voted against, as did District 4’s William Wiatt, and Ron Miller, of District 5. District 1 Commissioner Denise Werling was absent for the vote.
More than a dozen residents of the secluded Upper Sugarloaf Key neighborhoods spoke out against the structure, which was to be built by Florida Keys Media LLC. The company’s owner, Bob Holladay, controls six local radio stations including flagship U.S. 1, which were to have be served by the tower.
The tower concept had been in the planning stages for over a year, but during that time, a groundswell of opposition began building among local residents, and snowbirds with second homes in the area.
Concerned citizens, including Vera Vasek, circulated online and paper copy petitions against the project, which they argued, had no place in their neighborhood.
The group also organized an Upper Sugarloaf Residents Association, to fight the development.
“Currently, there are five towers south and southeast of the proposed site at 830 Crane Boulevard, all within a two-mile radius, and all with flashing lights,” the group’s petition read, in part. “Residents and visitors already suffer more than their share of such visual intrusions . . . The proposed industrial tower would forever alter and dominate the existing community character of this low-density island, where generations of residents and visitors have enjoyed the natural beauty, wildlife and open views of the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge.”
Following the hearing, USRA attorney Van Fischer pronounced himself satisfied with the vote.
“The association was opposed to . . . the antenna-supporting structure,” he said. “It follows that the association is pleased with the outcome. I believe the planning commission made the right decision in denying the application.
“The main thing is that the tower is incompatible with the community . . . in terms of height, mass, and scale. The commissioners haven’t released a written determination yet, but the motion that was passed was denying the application on three grounds. It’s incompatible with community character. The second was adverse impact on surrounding property values. The third was that the applicant failed to demonstrate that no alternative wireless communications facility could accommodate the proposed facility.”
Florida Keys Media purchased the local classic rock station WAIL, top-40 outfit WEOW, country-programed WCTH, and another classic rock station, WFKZ, from Clear Channel Broadcasting, in late 2013.
Owner Bob Holladay had relocated his stations’ studios to Crane Boulevard and wanted the tower to be located nearby.

 

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