Photo: Shaun Penner / EverythingGP staff

By Shaun Penner

Preferred Elsewhere

City committee not supportive of proposed telecom tower site near Elks Hall

Jun 10, 2021 | 11:54 AM

A City of Grande Prairie standing committee says it is not supporting the proposed site of a telecommunications tower proposed to be built adjacent to the Elks Hall.

On Tuesday, the Infrastructure and Economic Development Committee voted not to support writing a letter of concurrence to TELUS, who is looking to build the 4G monopole tower right next to the Elks Hall on 106 Street.

Courtesy of the City of Grande Prairie / Land Solutions / TELUS

While the committee is not opposed to the development of such a tower, which would increase 4G coverage in the Grande Prairie area, the specific location is something which is not ideal for them.

Most notable of those apprehensions is the site’s proximity to the walking trail near the Bear Creek Reservoir.

“Really, what committee was concerned about was protecting the jewel of our city, which is Muskoseepi Park,” said Councillor Dylan Bressey, who chairs the committee.

“There were concerns that it being so close to the top of a bank, there could be some construction and slippage concerns in the future, but there also was the aesthetic concern in terms of… you don’t want people to be looking at a big development like this when they are out on their bike or out on a walk enjoying nature.”

Other issues, such as the proximity to a residential land district, which falls within approximately 85 metres of the proposed site, were also of concern.

While the city does not have the ultimate say in where the tower would be put up, a power which held by the federal government, committee was able to share with the consultant for TELUS what their preference would be, which the feds will consider prior to any final decisions are made.

“The consultant working for TELUS had a good discussion with committee about where is (committee’s) comfort level and where isn’t their comfort level,” said Bressey.

“And that’s really what this process is about, is getting local context and local thought on where it works best in the community.”

While the consultant worked to balance Council priorities when seeking a potential site, like not having the tower overly visible to the public, Bressey says the concerns of its proximity to the trail and park outweighed that.

Which is why he says committee was more comfortable to suggest building the tower along the old bypass.

“The reality of our modern society is that these are necessary developments,” said Bressey. “They’re not pretty, but you have to look at it some place and I think there was more comfort at committee… (was) somebody looking down the bypass having to look at it.

“There was a lot more comfort level there than somebody on a walk or on a bike ride through Muskoseepi Park having to look at it.”

Committee did support a motion to write a letter of concurrence for a separate tower, also proposed by TELUS, at a site southwest of the Grande Prairie Airport.