FORT MYERS, Fla. — With the cell tower near the Bon Air Building set to be torn down, the city needs to build a new one and they’ve set their sights on the Fort Myers Country Club.
“It’s a balancing act,” said Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson. “We have to make sure that we can provide services, at the same time, not do something that detracts from the overall beauty of our city.”
Fox 4's Community Correspondent Stephen Pimpo takes a look at why the city believes the golf course is the best site for the new cell tower:
According to a presentation to city council Monday, losing the cell tower in the area would cause an increase unreliable cell coverage.
“We can’t afford to lose coverage,” Mayor Anderson said. “Think about how many people no longer have those hard line phones in their homes. They rely on cell phones.”
However, the mayor says the proposed new tower site at the Fort Myers Country Club could actually improve cell service.
“It sounded like the data they had, the location they have selected, seems to be the best location for not only maintaining the current level of service, but enhancing it,” he said.
Mayor Anderson also added that building it on city property would generate about $42,000 a year for the city, which could be put back into the golf course towards things like cart paths and better restrooms.
Former city council member and Fort Myers resident Johnny Streets wants to make sure the people living around the golf course get their say.
“How do the constituents in that community feel about a tower on the golf course and in that community?,” he asked.
While the city is moving forward with a lease agreement to build the tower on the golf course, Mayor Anderson said one of the next steps will be to hold a public hearing on the issue.
