Verizon Cell Tower 

Proposed Cell Tower materials presented by Reliant Land Services

Updated: 8/1/09

The Verizon cell tower structure is completed and operational. 

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Updated: 5/16/09

The cell tower structure has been installed a couple of months ahead of schedule.  Not operational as of yet but hopefully by end of summer.

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Updated: 3/12/09

The following excerpt is from an email with Randy Downing of Reliant Land Services:

We received our use permit from Coconino County. At this point we have submitted our building permit and are doing our environmental reviews. Once we have a permit and environmental sign offs we will begin construction on the site. I am hoping that it will be done this summer!

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Updated: 11/6/08

The following excerpt is from an email with Randy Downing of Reliant Land Services:

We have filed a Conditional Use Permit application with Coconino County.  We should be scheduled for a November hearing date.  Once approved we will need to apply for and obtain building permits, finalize the lease agreement with the property owner, and turn the site over to Verizon for construction.  Verizon will need to budget the site for construction and build it.  We are working on it.

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Updated: 8/25/08

The following notes are from Baron Glassgow who attended the presentation.

Three things are needed for the cell tower to be built: 1) property on which to build the cell tower; 2) approval by Coconino County of a conditional use permit; and 3) Verizon funding for construction of the tower. 

• Property on which to build the tower: The cell tower, if approved, will be located on the lot located immediately north of the fire station.  This is the lot on which there was a proposed general store and gas station a few years ago, but the neighbors fought the required commercial rezoning.  Verizon expects to reach agreement with the owner of that lot for lease of a parcel on the lot.  Both the tower and a building to house equipment and a back-up generator would be built on that parcel. 

• Approval by Coconino County of a conditional use permit: According to the presenter, no zoning change will be needed to locate this tower on the lot.  That’s why the request to Coconino County will be for a conditional use permit.  The company representing Verizon intends to submit the official request this week.  It is anticipated that a hearing regarding the conditional use permit will be held next month.  On Saturday evening, I chatted with the chairman of the Blue Ridge Fire District Board.  His name slips my mind.  He said that there is no known opposition to the permit, and that he expects the County to approve the permit.  He said that Fire Chief Chuck Buddle and he will attend the hearing to speak in support of the permit, and to outline why the Fire District strongly supports construction of the cell tower.

• Verizon funding for construction of the tower: According the presenter, if everything goes as expected, funding of the cell tower will be included the Verizon’s budget that starts July 2009.  So, if all goes well, we should have Verizon cell and wireless internet service available in approximately September of 2009. 

Coverage was discussed at the meeting, and a map of anticipated Verizon coverage was shown at the meeting.  Due to the size of the maps and the number of people trying to look at them, I was not able to spend any time analyzing whether Mogollon Ranch would be fully covered.  However, the presenter said that service should be available within five miles of the tower, and further in some areas.  I think that all portions of Mogollon Ranch are within five miles straight-line from the site.

The tower will be built to allow for co-location of antenna from other cell service providers. 

If you would like to write a letter in support of the cell tower, send the letter to Randy Downing at Reliant Land Services.  His contact information is on the first page of the attachment.  He will include all letters in the packet of materials submitted to the County.