Cell phone tower project on hold at Murrayville Elementary

Tuesday night the New Hanover County School Board voted to try to back out of a contract to build a cell phone tower at Murrayville Elementary School.

Permits for the 90-foot tower had already been granted by the New Hanover County Commission to the American Tower Corporation. Now the school board wants to void the contract, as long as it does not hurt the school district.

“They want to make sure that it doesn’t cause any undue financial hardship or legal hardship for the district. The attorney is going to investigate that and he’ll get back to them fairly quickly about it,” said New Hanover County Schools spokesperson Valita Quattlebaum.

The school board did not give a reason for looking into voiding the contract, but the board has been under increasing pressure from Murrayville parents and neighbors to stop the project.