CAVE CREEK – During the Jan. 17 council meeting, Jason Mendoza from Mobilitie LLC, representing Sprint, expressed his client’s desire to provide service in Cave Creek, where it currently has none.
He said Sprint is getting ready for the next generation 5G service and was requesting authorization to install an 80-foot macro tower in the town’s right of way on Cave Creek Road in the vicinity of Spur Cross Road.
Mendoza held up a picture of the type of pole he was suggesting and said it looks like a utility pole and instead of the shiny silver color they could do rust.
He said the small cells could be 25 to 30 feet tall and the installation would provide an improved network with a new wireless carrier.
Mendoza said they need the 80-foot height and location and prefer to have it in the town’s right-of-way.
Vice Mayor Sova asked if the town would receive income from the installation.
Mendoza said the town would receive somewhere between $2,000 and $3,400 per year.
Sova said the problem he had with it was its placement right at the entry to the town and asked if there was another location where it could be installed.
Mendoza said they were willing to work with the town and stated if the tower were not 80-feet tall they would need more of them.
Mayor Ernie Bunch said there was no way he would ever approve an 80-foot tall “monstrosity” in this town and stated it was not going to work.
Mendoza stated, “My goal today is to come up with a path forward.”
Bunch said if council ever approved anything like that they could expect to be tarred and feathered and stated $3,400 was not enough money to warrant the kind of backlash they would receive.
Mendoza said they could go with a lower height but would need four if they went with 30 foot poles, plus the small cells.
He said he would need to go back to his client to develop a new plan.
