Politics & Government
Trustees Again Put Off Vote on Cell Towers
The final vote won't come until September, Tinley Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki said last week.
Tinley Park trustees last week decided to hold off—again—on a final vote on whether to erect two, 129-foot cellular towers at local schools.
Trustees said they had not gathered enough information on locations alternative to Christa McAuliffe on 174th Street and Helen Keller School on 163rd Street.
Residents filed into the board room, despite trustees' earlier announcement that a final vote would not take place. Officials in June delayed the vote, after extensive negative feedback from residents.
Parents have argued that the towers are an eyesore and would cause property values to plummet, in addition to the danger they might pose to children.
"These towers are going to be so close to the kindergarten," Marie Letz told NBC after last month's meeting. "I know if my kids were little, I'd be putting my house up on the market."
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The towers would mean $1,850 per location per month paid to the Kirby School District, with an annual 3 percent increase. The school board approved the agreement in November. AT&T has said the towers are necessary to provide consistent cellular service in the area.
The final vote is tentatively scheduled to take place Sept. 2.
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