Residents surrounding the Oakway Golf Course have been protesting the building of a 75-foot-tall cell phone tower.
But Wednesday morning the city of Eugene approved the plans with a few stipulations.
The golf course is slated to be the new home of an AT&T cell tower.
Golfers don’t seem to mind, but residents around the course say they’ll most likely appeal.
“A monopole is the design, so it’s not a lattice tower. It’s kind of a single pole with an antenna on top,” said Steve Oches, City of Eugene Associate Planner.
Neighbors complained the tower presented health risks, it’ll be loud, and stick out among the existing trees and one-story homes.
After public comment, the company has agreed to put the tower’s noisy operating-telecommunication cabinets underground.
“I should think a lot of the people opposed to the site, looking at it, would be rather happy,” said Franny Bishop.
But Bishop, whose yard is the course, would be surprised then to find many neighbors are angered about the cell tower approval.
“It’s still going to be ugly, guaranteed. Regardless whether you bury the box underground, there’s still going to be an 80 foot tower in my backyard,” said Mathew McMahon.
But golfers teeing off aren’t really ticked off by the cell tower.
“If it’s inconspicuous, I don’t have a problem with it. If it’s bothering people views of their homes condominiums, I mean I wouldn’t want it in front of my place,” said Kathy Reich.
Typically cell towers are found in industrial zones.
This would be the first in Eugene in such close proximity to a residential neighborhood, but golfers aren’t concerned about the cell radiation.
“It’s a lot farther away from you than the brain cells from the cell itself,” said golfer Frank Sprouse.
“There’s going to be a battle over every issue, but cell phone towers are definitely a necessity in our society now,” said golfer Dave Russell.
The soonest the construction could begin is six months from now, meaning there is time for those in opposition to the tower to appeal.