ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — People who showed up for a planned public hearing on plans to allow construction of a 120-foot-tall cell phone tower, were greeted with a posted notice that the meeting had been postponed until August 3.
“I just wanted to see what was going to happen so I know what to ballpark and plan for traffic etc.,” said Rosie Bridgeford, a St. Petersburg resident who went to the meeting with her two daughters.
The proposed tower would be built near a four-way intersection at 45th Avenue and 4th Street, and some homeowners who live nearby aren’t happy with the plan.
“I am definitely against it and so is my husband,” said Margarita Sorah, who lives across the street. “We are not happy it is too close to my house, and it’s going to be an eyesore, and I feel like it’s going to make the neighborhood look a lot less appealing.”
People who live in the area say a structure that tall hovering over a four-way intersection is an eyesore. They want it moved to somewhere less residential, as they worry it could drive down their property value.
“My husband has owned this house for 20 years and we’re making major renovations and I just hope we’re not throwing our money away,” a resident said.
It’s a spot where a lot of development is already planned. Some neighbors are less worried about the tower, and more about what all the new additions will mean for the area.
“Maybe it's little ugly, doesn’t matter, you don’t have to look at it. But if they’re going to build like an apartment complex here, there’s gonna be way more traffic and I don’t like that,” said Indrek Karne who lives down the street from where the tower would be.
The public hearing to discuss the cell tower was rescheduled for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, August 3.