A standalone 75-foot-tall wireless communication facility designed to look like a broad-leaf tree is planned at the Bashas’ commercial center on the southeast corner of South Superstition Mountain Drive and East U.S. Highway 60 in Gold Canyon.
The Pinal County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 4 voted 3-2 to approve a special-use permit for the tower. Dissenting were Vice-Chairman Jeffrey McClure, who represents District 4; and Jeff Serdy, who represents District 5.
A public hearing on a resolution approving a special-use permit for the multicarrier facility on a 12.08-acre parcel in the local business zoning district was held Aug. 21 and was continued to the Sept. 4 meeting.
The “monoelm” tower is to be installed on the east side of the parcel, Senior Planner Glenn Bak said during the board’s Aug. 21 meeting.
“Initially the applicant proposed to place it somewhat to the southwest where it would be near a building and that brought some concern up with staff because it didn’t meet the separation we like to see away from buildings should the wireless facility fall,” he said to the supervisors.
Staff received 34 letters of opposition and 87 items of support of the tower, Bak said.
“The lack of this facility would adversely impact the community in leaving a potential communications gap and that has been expressed by a number of residents in the area,” he said.
District 5 Supervisor Jeff Serdy asked if the tower could instead be put on state land to the south. A representative for the company that is to install it, Sun State Towers, said that would not be possible.
“We do feel this location is the best location in this area. To answer your question on state land, we have reached out to state land multiple times. They typically do not encumber their land when it is vacant and that particular piece of land is actually currently being negotiated for sale so they will not allow us to go on it,” Michelle Johnson, director of site development for Sun State Towers, said to the supervisors.
Scott Hopper is the applicant/agent. Gilligan Gold Canyon LLC is the landowner.
“This proposed Sun State (wireless communication facility) will close a significant gap in coverage in the least intrusive way possible for Verizon Wireless and other carriers per the Telecommunication Act of 1996,” Hopper wrote in a special use permit application. “Least-intrusive design — monoelm — to minimize visual impact, while offering a solution to provide needed coverage in the area.”
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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