On Thursday, Sept. 24, city officials received word that Selective Service Consultants, a Kansas-based company working on behalf of Verizon Wireless to secure a cell tower site, has withdrawn its application to construct a controversial cell tower at Iowa City’s Oak Grove Park.
SSC’s decision to withdraw was based on the city’s recommendation to deny the special exception for the cell tower. Previously, the proposal received large amounts of negative feedback at a neighborhood meeting with SSC on Aug. 5. Eventually, an online petition netted over 250 signatures opposing the cell tower site.
The initial cell tower proposal was passed by the Park and Recreation Commission in December 2014 by a 5-2 vote. The Board of Adjustments had planned to discuss the item at their October meeting, but has since removed the item from their agenda.
SSC’s Mark Super said his company is still looking for a cell tower site in the neighborhood. He said SSC is considering joining an application from Iowa City low-power radio station KICI that would place a tower at Public Access Television (PATV) at 206 Lafayette Street.
However, PATV Executive Director Josh Goding said the parking lot at PATV might be too small to accommodate a radio tower, let alone a cell tower. Technically the city owns the PATV building and will have the final say.
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