The council of the Region of Queens Municipality has declined a highly contentious application for a development agreement to erect a cellular telecommunications tower in Liverpool.
The proposed location for the tower was on privately owned property located near the end of Meadow Pond Lane in Liverpool, which is zoned R6 — Mixed Use Coastal Residential.
A telecommunications tower does not fall under the list of permitted uses in the R6 zone.
However, according to a news release from the region, council has provisions in the Region’s Municipal Planning Strategy to consider approvals of such uses by way of a development agreement.
The applicant, Eastlink, held a public meeting on November 21, 2018 to provide information to the public regarding the plans for the tower.
Region of Queens Municipality held a public hearing Jan. 22 to provide opportunity for the public to make oral or written presentations respecting the proposed development.
At that time, a number of local residents and property owners spoke at the hearing, stating concerns of potential health impacts to residents in the proximity, decreased property values, and future plans for multi-unit residential development.
Several written submissions were also received prior to the hearing, and provided to council for their consideration.
David Dagley, Mayor of the Region of Queens Municipality, said, “Council carefully deliberated the advantages and disadvantages of approving the development agreement to allow the telecommunications tower to be erected.”
In the end, he said, “Council determined that while telecommunications towers are necessary to provide our residents, businesses and visitors to Queens with reliable communications, the proposed site wasn’t an appropriate location for the tower. Approval was not given to the applicant.”
Liverpool resident, Peter Ripple, was one of those who objected to the agreement.
Following council’s February 12 decision Ripple said, “I have no comment other than to say that I am pleased that the council did the right thing for the people they serve.”
