The Cape Girardeau City Council delayed a vote on a controversial AT&T cell phone tower at its meeting on Monday night.
AT&T is seeking a special use permit to construct the 140 foot cell phone tower at 418 William Street in downtown Cape Girardeau. The tower would improve reception in the downtown area and in the casino.
But residents in the downtown neighborhood near Indian Park and St. Mary Cathedral oppose the new tower plan. They say it will affect the aesthetics of Cape Girardeau’s historic core area and negatively impact property values.
City manager Scott Meyer said the city took proper measures to notify the neighborhood, but the delay will give residents more time to express their concerns and work with AT&T.
“That’s the reason we have time for public input and reach out for neighbors. The aesthetics do affect them. Anything of this height, we need to consider that,” Meyer said.
AT&T’s Marsha Haskell told the council that the company will place a Missouri flag atop what they refer to as a “stealth monopole” to improve its aesthetics.
The council gave AT&T and the neighborhood residents 30 days to get together to talk about the project to see if they can reach a resolution that both parties can live with.
“You have to balance between the good of having additional service and then the negatives of the aesthetics and make a decision,” Meyer said.
The Council will take up the cell phone tower issue at its first meeting in August.