Some Springfield Township residents’and those passing through via I-75’may find themselves with a stronger cellular signal in the near future.
A new 150-foot monopole telecommunications tower is slated for installation at the MDOT rest stop area on the northbound side of I-75, north of Davisburg Road.
‘We’ll just have one carrier’T-Mobile’on the tower to start,? said Ellen Tencer, an attorney for SBA Communications Corporation. ‘But it’s designed for four to six carriers, and that helps so you can have just one tower in the area, not two or three.?
In addition, Tencer explained, the tower can also support equipment for other entities.
‘It’s not only for cellular carriers,? she said, noting the tower is unlighted. ‘If there are police or fire departments that would like an antenna, we always accommodate them. If there are any Wi-Fi companies, those antenna can go on, too.?
SBA, the third-largest owner and operator of wireless communications infrastructure in the United States, has an exclusive contract with the State of Michigan to build wireless facilities on state land including MDOT highways, state parks, select state police facilities and other state owned land.
The 50×50-foot area containing the tower will be fenced and landscaped, Tencer said. Grass pavers from the existing rest stop drive will provide site access and eliminate the need for construction of a new driveway.
SBA applied for and received a variance for setback from the residential property line
from the township’s Zoning Board of Appeals, and were also granted approval with changes from the planning commission.
The project received final approval from the Springfield Township Board Thursday, but it was unclear when installation would take place.