UPDATE: Murrayville Road cell tower meeting continued

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) –Homeowners upset about a possible cell phone tower in their backyard took their concerns to the New Hanover County planning board Thursday night.

T-Mobile’s plan to build a 150 foot cell tower off of Murrayville Road brought out quite the crowd to Thursday’s public hearing.

WWAY talked to the woman who owns the land where the cell tower will go. During our interview with Angela Steele, a T-Mobile representative interrupted us and asked to talk with her saying he wouldn’t be making any comment until, maybe, after the hearing. He, then, took her away without letting us finish the interview.

Before that happened, Steele told us she doesn’t mind that there might be a tower on her property, but her neighbors do mind. They’re concerned about health and safety, and most importantly, property values. They said they think the tower will be an eyesore and turn away potential buyers.

“When people go to buy properties they don’t say, ‘Hey, will you please show me something that’s right next to a cell tower?’ They say to me, ‘Oh, is there a cell tower? I don’t want to live anywhere near that’,” said homeowner Shari Cutting.

“My concern is its going to not only diminish property value but its going to create an environment that people aren’t going to want to reside in,” said homeowner Melissa Stall.

The site is located right across the street from Murrayville Elementary School on Murrayville Road. In a request to the New Hanover County Planning Board, Branch Communications and T-Mobile said a tower is desperately needed to provide adequate voice and advanced data to the surrounding area.

WWAY wasn’t able to talk to the T-Mobile representative because we had to leave before the meeting ended. But, during the meeting, he defended the tower’s location saying it’s their only option. He added that trees block the tower, and you can’t really see it.

Earlier on Thursday, WWAY talked with homeowners Jake Wessel and Matthew Brenneman who also have several concerns, including the possible health risks.

“From what I understand, there haven’t been any long-term studies to prove anything one way or the other,” Wessel said.

According to the American Cancer Society, “Some people have expressed concern that living, working, or going to school near a cell phone tower might increase the risk of cancer or other health problems. At this time, there is very little evidence to support this idea. In theory, there are some important points that would argue against cellular phone towers being able to cause cancer.”

Health concerns aside, residents say property values are the biggest issue with the proposed tower.

“The reason we bought this house was partially for the natural area and the beautiful surroundings, so to have this big ugly metal structure towering above all of that to me – that’s unacceptable,” Wessel said.

“I’ve been reading articles all over the United States where property values have been depressed as much as 20% depending on how close you live to this cell phone tower,” Brenneman added.

Brenneman said more than 80 residents have signed a petition and plan to make their opinions known at the meeting.

“I just think it’s inappropriate to put it in a residential area when you have other options that are industrial and urban as well,” Brenneman said.

At the meeting later Thursday night, T-Mobile asked the New Hanover County planning board to continue the issue to its next meeting. Members obliged.