A new 125-foot cell tower proposed on church property in Coral Springs

Coral Spring, Florida – According to the city documents, a new 125-foot cell tower is proposed to be built on the property of a church in the northwest corner of Coral Springs.
According to an application submitted to the city, if approved, the tower would be built on the property of Parkridge Church at 5600 Coral Ridge Drive on the south side of the Sawgrass Expressway and about 550 feet from the closest “multi-family residential structure”
RPC Holdings of Boca Raton has applied to build the tower to support four wireless carriers whose antennas would be concealed behind “stealth shielding” that would include a religious cross at the top of the tower, the documents said.
According to a city memo, city codes allow cell towers to be constructed up to 100-feet-tall. But those towers could be built taller if granted special permission from the City Commission. Since the proposed tower would be 125-feet-tall, it would require those approvals from the commission, the memo said.
City planners recommend approving the tower as long as it meets various technical conditions.
The height and location of the tower are needed to adequately provide wireless service for calls, data, and 911 services for all major wireless carriers, according to the application.
According to the application, the tower would be close to densely populated neighborhoods and schools, including Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, as well as busy shopping centers and the heavy traveled Sawgrass Expressway corridor. If a shorter, 100-foot tower is built, the application said, callers, would continue experiencing dropped calls, slow data speeds, and “in the worst case, a user may not be able to place an E911 call.”
The city’s Planning and Zoning Board is expected to review the application on Monday. City commissioners are expected to discuss the proposed tower on Oct. 20.