- Hub staff

Today is the final day for public comment on the proposed construction of a cell tower at 195 24th Street West at the Owen Sound marina.

Rogers is proposing “a 30m shrouded monopole, painted white, that will have a nine (9) ASI4517R6 antennas installed internally that will provide wireless services in the area.

"A 1.62m x 2.44m equipment shelter will be located at the base of the shrouded monopole. Both proposed shrouded monopole and equipment shelter will be located within a 5m x 8m chain-link (topped with barb wire) fenced compound to prevent public access," "according to information provided to the City and a single neighbour.

Owen Sound could have, but does not have, its own protocols for a public consultation process in these situations.  Under existing federal rules, only neighbours within the height of the structure had to be notified about their opportunity to comment, and in this case that meant 30 metres and one neighbour. A notice was in the Sun Times one day in mid-June.

“Rogers currently provides wireless services to Owen Sound with their existing site on a 25m rooftop site (C2397). Rogers RF engineers determined a new site is required north of the grain elevators on the west side of the bay to improve their coverage and off-load wireless traffic from their existing site that increases overall capacity for the area, ” according to the information package provided on request.

Without doubt, providing efficient wireless services is part of Owen Sound's plan to be attractive to businesses and residents, as is enhancing and improving our harbour and waterfront area.  Balancing the two priorities is the challenge.

The question about the openness of the public process, and whether or not this site was the only or most suitable location for the tower, has been raised in the community and at city council last Monday.

We have been unable to locate an on-line source of the details about the proposed structure to share.

Comments can be sent to the proponent's representative directly.