Church tower wins support

Valerie Miller

Friday, Aug. 14, 1998 | 11:15 a.m.

Is a 45-foot high clock tower owned by a church a symbol of religious expression? Maybe not, if it contains antennas and equipment for a private cellular phone company.

The issue was debated Thursday night during a meeting of the Henderson Planning Commission.

The tower is owned by the Green Valley Methodist Church but it will be used primarily by Nextel Communications.

After some debate, commissioners approved the arrangement 3-2. Commission Vice-Chairman JoAnn Huffaker and Commissioner George Bochanis cast the no votes and two commissioners were absent.

The church, at 2200 Robindale Road on the north side of Green Valley, would own the actual property while Nextel would own and have use of the antennas and equipment inside the clock tower.

Huffaker and Bochanis said that the tower was reminiscent of another 40-foot communications pole planned for the same site two years ago -- and unanimously denied by the Commission.

"If my memory is right, this was the same church that was going to have a pole with the antennas disguised as a plastic palm tree," Huffaker said, recalling the unusual design to laughter from those in attendance.

"A Swiss Family Robinson design was also discussed to hide that pole," Bochanis added. "If that 40-foot pole was considered intrusive and too an intense a use for the area, then I certainly think this 45-foot tower would be."

This clock tower/cellular antenna is different from the pole previously proposed, however, in the sense that this time it has the support of neighbors, said church trustee Max Hatcher. He added that he had spoken with the residents across the street from the church who had opposed the last pole, and that they had given their approval this time around,

The clock tower would also be symbolic of more than 1,000 years of religious expression in churches, said church Pastor Robert Burns.

"Church towers let people know where there is a church to worship in the community," Burns maintained.

Still, some members of the commission found the partnership between the church and Nextel to build and operate the tower to be somewhat extreme and found the comparison inappropriate.

"You are comparing rich church architecture of a certain period with a tower for cell phones," Huffaker retorted. "It seems like you are building a bridge when a canoe would get you across the river."

In the end, though, the church asked for, and so they shall receive, their tower.

"I hope that the church gets something out of this," Huffaker said.