Cell phone tower battle brewing in Sarasota

Sarasota, Florida -  Another cell phone tower debate is brewing in the Bay area, this time it's in Sarasota.

T-Mobile is proposing to build an 80-foot tower disguised as a flag pole on the property of Value Cleaners at Webber Street and Beneva Road.

"It's ugly," said Emily Mahoney who works at the Pet Supply Center, next to the proposed site.

"I think it's a way to disguise what they're really doing, just making it look acceptable by having a cell phone tower on it," Mahoney said.

"We're just concerned because of the possible health ramifications in the future, who knows what that could mean," she added.

T-Mobile says the tower is so high in the air, it would not impact the people nearby.  Mahoney remains unconvinced.

Sue Gorski, who lives in the nearby South Gate neighborhood, recently started a petition against the tower and plans on canvassing her neighborhood over the weekend for signatures.

She calls the tower, a "flag pole on steroids."

"It's out of whack with the rest of the neighborhood," she said.

The comments collected so far on the petition read:  "Too tall," "An abomination," "Ugly," and "Stupid."

The owner of Value Cleaners, Mike Galyean, says he was approached by T-Mobile four or five years ago about the tower.

He admits he is being compensated to lease out the property, but declined to say how much.

"It's economics," Galyean told 10 Connects.

He says it will benefit his customers and his business by allowing him to stay in business.

In the current economy, his business neighbors can't blame him.

"I don't want to stop somebody from getting compensation from something like that.  If they're not going to put it there, they're going to put it somewhere else," said Mike Layton, owner of A-1 Technologies.

He shrugged and said at least there's a bright side.

"Like one of my technicians said, hey, we'll have a better signal in that area," he said.

T-Mobile says the dry cleaners property is the only location that will work at this point, meeting county code, the company's technical requirements and a willing landlord.

A tower in the area of Webber Street and Beneva will improve in-building service to T-Mobile customers in the area and enhance 911 location services, the company said.

The tower is not a done deal.  It has to go before the Planning Commission in December.  If they get approval then, it will go before the Sarasota County Commission for final approval.

Those opposed promise a fight.

"It's not a good idea," said Mahoney.