A Clover cell tower plan caused 2 years of controversy, lawsuits. Now, it’s going up.

Clover residents have a few days left if they want to appeal the town’s approval of a cell tower that has sparked controversy for nearly two years.

Town Administrator Allison Harvey said staff approved TowerCom’s permit Sept. 15 to build a cell tower on .46 acres at 210 Walnut St., behind a derelict four-story mill building on South Main Street.

“They have a permit to move forward,” she said. “It’s up to them when building will be begin.”

The property was already zoned industrial.

“What we’re saying is the developer meets criteria set forth in the ordinances,” Harvey said. “Additional conditions have been met.”

Harvey said according to Verizon and TowerCom’s testimony, the tower is needed to take the load off the only other tower within town limits on Old North Main Street, which is at capacity. She said it also should improve existing service and coverage area.

Two towers outside town limits, she said, are near Clover High School and atop Henry’s Knob. Comparing the tower to a water tower she said, “it’s just necessary.”

The revised tower plan is for a 155-foot monopole with cabinets, no building, Harvey said.

“It’s like a super tall flag pole with antenna,” she said.

The tower will carry Verizon with “capability for three additional carriers.”

The 200-plus page cell tower plan includes details for landscaping that fencing with buffers on both sides of Leyland cypress, willow oak, flowering dogwood and wax myrtle trees.

“It exceeds the requirements for landscaping,” Harvey said. “At eye level, the hope at least is it will be visually appealing.”

The original plan was for an 180-foot pyramid-style tower, plus a building for equipment.

Ed Dees Jr., a vocal opponent of the tower who lives about 40 yards from the site, said Tuesday he’s disappointed. He plans to appeal, again. In 2015, he asked the town to reconsider approving the plan.

“It’s a bad situation,” Dees said. “Once again here money takes precedence over people.”

Dees said if the tower is built, “We’ll move.”

Todd Blanton, a former town councilman running again for a seat in November’s election, also lives nearby.

“We are putting all of our efforts in with Ed,” said Blanton, who resigned from his council post in December 2015 after serving five years. Blanton said he didn’t feel he could be “effective” citing ongoing disagreements with town management and other council members, including his stance on the cell tower.

“It’s just not right, you don’t put a cell tower on Main Street in Clover,” he said.

Blanton founded Concerned Citizens of Clover to promote and support the individual voice of Clover, he said.

“I don’t think things are done like they should be,” he said.

Blanton said he and other residents did not receive notification about the Sept. 15 permit approval. “So we’ve got a week to prepare the appeal,” he said.

Even with the approved changes, Blanton said, “It’s still the wrong location.” He said it does not meet the comprehensive plan and said this decision and others the town is making have to do with “quality of life.”

“Highly charged issue”

The tower plan was dead twice, alive twice, then revived again.

In late 2015, neighbors learned about an approved plan to build the $140,000 tower. They questioned the zoning and said the town should consider an alternative site not so close to homes. Dees appealed, asking the town zoning board to review the decision. Construction was halted. Harvey called it a “very highly charged issue.”

In January 2016, the town’s zoning appeals board ruled the town was right to allow Verizon to build the tower under existing zoning rules for the property, which had been zoned industrial for at least 25 years.

Opponents, including Blanton, said a town employee on the zoning board was illegal and wanted a new hearing. Blanton even sold cupcakes and held a yard sale to fight the plan. Opponents filed a lawsuit the end of January 2016. The zoning board vote was nullified.

By May 2016, then-York County Councilman Bruce Henderson said he was concerned following the town zoning board meeting that had “turned into a circus,” and said the town needed to find a more suitable location. About 40 opponents had filled the room asking the zoning board stop the tower. They voted three against the tower, and one for it. A fifth member recused himself. Work at the site to build the tower ceased.

In July 2016, the Florida-based companies wanting to build the tower – TowerCom and Telecom Site Management – filed a lawsuit against the town, hours before the appeals deadline.

Then in November 2016, a judge ordered a new vote. The ruling meant for the third time in a year, Clover’s zoning board would again determine whether the town was right to give TowerCom a permit.

Now, the cell tower will be built.

Efforts to reach Hellman, Yates & Tisdale, the office representing TowerCom and Verizon, for comment were unsuccessful.

Harvey said a couple of residents have inquired about appealing. She recommends making submissions by Friday.

This story was originally published September 26, 2017 at 5:22 PM with the headline "A Clover cell tower plan caused 2 years of controversy, lawsuits. Now, it’s going up.."