Cell Tower ‘Cross’ Angers Residents

CATHEDRAL CITY -More than40 Cathedral City Cove residents attended an open house Tuesday night to discuss a proposal for a 60 foot-high cell phone tower disguised asgiant white cross.

If approved by Cathedral City, the tower would be owned by T-Mobile USA and would lease the space from the Community Presbyterian Church in Cathedral City. A source tells News Channel 3 T-Mobile will pay Community Presbyterian Church $15,000 per year for 20 years on a escalating pay plan.

Cathedral City Cove residents like Steve Salkin say they are not opposed to the cross, they are opposed to the 60 foot tower. Salkin goes on to say, “We don’t want anything in the Cove, it’s another thing to lower housing prices and it’s going to detract from everything up here.”

The church already has a cross in front of the building. The current cross measures 30 feet tall.

In order for the tower to be built, T-Mobile will need to get a conditional use permit from the City. City code states no residential structure can be taller than two stores, or about 26 feet. T-Mobile has not submitted a formal application. If they do, the architectural committee will need to pass it. If passed by the architectural committee, to make it final the planning commission would need to sign off on the plan.