Council authorizes new small-cell structures

By NEAL EMBRY

The Vestavia Hills City Council on March 27 voted to authorize new small-cell support towers at multiple locations.

The locations for the towers are: 2285 Sterling Ridge Circle, 1601 Gentilly Drive, 2500 Chatwood Road and 181 Castlehill Drive. The towers provide cell phone coverage within a small range.

Vestavia Hills Mayor Ashley Curry said the city does not have the right, by federal law, to stop small-cell towers from being placed in the public right of way.

Dustin Shaw, who owns 1601 Gentilly Drive, asked how necessary the towers were, considering there would now be four within a quarter-mile radius. Objecting to the tower’s placement at the corner of his property, he said he felt Crown Castle, who is installing the towers, did not consider his property.

“This is an atrocity and I do not feel any consideration was given to the beautification of my property,” Shaw said.

Shaw told the council they would be making similar arguments if a tower was being placed in their front yards.

Acquanetta Love with Crown Castle said the tower locations are placed to create a network and must be placed closely together in order to communicate. She told a resident on Castlehill Drive concerned about the health impacts that the towers emit less radio waves than the maximum allowed under federal regulations.

The tower on Sterling Ridge Circle has been moved from a landscaped area near the front of the subdivision to an unlandscaped area further away from the entrance.

Crown Castle and Shaw agreed at the meeting to continue their conversation in good faith to come up with a solution that works for both parties.

In other business, the council:

► Honored Ruby Denson for her decades of service to the city as a volunteer

► De-annexed a sliver of land in Liberty Park to clean up a prospective office space

► Annexed 2608 Rillwood Road from Jefferson County and rezoned it for compatible estate zoning in the city

► Annexed and rezoned 2594 Acton Road from Jefferson County agricultural to Vestavia Hills medium-density residential

► Annexed and rezoned 2401 Rocky Ridge Road from Jefferson County low-density residential to Vestavia Hills low-density residential

► Annexed 2565 Rocky Ridge Road, which is Grace Covenant Baptist Church, and rezoned it for compatible institutional zoning in the city

► Annexed and rezoned 1420 Branchwater Circle from Jefferson County estate to Vestavia Hills low-density residential

► Entered into an agreement with Ebix for management of claims and risk data

► Approved an agreement with International Fire for fire safety inspections for City Hall, the Vestavia Hills Police Department and the Vestavia Hills Civic Center

A small cell node sits atop a power pole on Woodhill Road. The Vestavia Hills City Council voted to authorize new smallcell support towers at 2285 Sterling Ridge Circle, 1601 Gentilly Drive, 2500 Chatwood Road and 181 Castlehill Drive. Staff photo.

► Named Curry the voting delegate for the Alabama League of Municipalities Convention

► Approved a liquor license for Biscuit Love

► Approved a liquor license for Cafe Iz to serve alcohol at the Civic Center if they are chosen as the event’s caterer

► Authorized the police department to place Flock cameras on private property, approving an agreement with property owners

► Encouraged Alabama Governor Kay Ivey to expedite the Northern Beltline project