St. Johns County responds to concerns about proposed wireless tower near St. Augustine Beach

Questions linger about a proposed 165-foot wireless communication tower at the edge of St. Augustine Beach.

And answers probably won't come until after a formal application is filed and St. Johns County goes through its review process.

County officials and a local resident discussed concerns about the tower at a recent commission meeting, and County Administrator Michael Wanchick recently responded to a letter from St. Augustine Beach Mayor Andrea Samuels.

Plans by Capital Telecom were revealed at a public meeting in early December to build a monopine wireless tower near the Winn-Dixie on State Road A1A near A1A Beach Boulevard.

The tower would be camouflaged to look like a pine tree.

The tower would stretch to 165 feet, including the faux branches, and would be able to hold up to five carriers - AT&T has lined up to be part of the project.

It would also be near homes, which left residents with concerns after a public meeting at St. Augustine Beach City Hall.

The attorney who hosted the meeting, Lauralee Westine, said a formal application could be filed with St. Johns County in January. A pre-application was filed with St. Johns County in March.

The property is owned by Winn-Dixie Properties, according to the pre-application.

While it is at the edge of St. Augustine Beach, the property is in St. Johns County's jurisdiction.

Neighborhood concerns

It is also near homes and would be large enough to be a dominant feature in the Ocean Trace neighborhood, said Ocean Trace resident Jim Tripp.

His concerns led him to the St. Johns County Commission with photos in hand, simulations of what the tower might look like according to calculations he had done - which have not been verified.

"You'll be able to see it from all over," Tripp said as he stood before commission.

He put up another simulated photo, a view from Ocean Trace.

"The entryway into Ocean Trace will look like this," he said. "That will be the dominant feature for potential home buyers when they come in to look at homes in our area."

And that dominant feature could cause home values to take a hit, Tripp and others have said.

"Some of these homes are within 100 feet of the base of this cell tower," he said.

St. Johns County Commission Chair Rachael Bennett said county staff had not received an application, but she asked if officials could look into the possibility of the company co-locating on one of St. Johns County's towers.

Wanchick said the application process will review different options.

"And ultimately if it makes it through the process it would be a decision made by the Board of County Commissioners," Wanchick said.

Justifying the need

The process will also verify a need for the tower.

Bennett, who said she believes alternatives are available, said the tower would be located within 600 feet of a scenic highway.

" … we take towers very seriously," she said. "They go through a very rigorous process. And the fact that it is within 600 feet of a scenic highway takes it to a level of greater scrutiny."

Wanchick's comments were similar in a letter to Samuels on Dec. 17.

Samuels sent a letter on Dec. 3 to Wanchick with questions or ideas about the proposed tower. The questions and comments came from a beach City Commission meeting and city staff, including the justification for the height, which the letter states "is higher than many towers of this nature that have been applied for by private entities in the past."

Wanchick's replay included a checklist the applicant will have to complete.

According to Wanchick's reply, "St. Johns County is aware of the potential tower; however, a formal application has not yet been submitted. The items listed in your letter will be addressed through the county application review process ... "