Fake pine tree cell tower proposed

A 100-foot cellphone tower disguised as a faux pine tree is proposed to be installed north of the viaduct in Whitefish.

The Whitefish City Council will consider allowing the tower following a public hearing at tonight’s meeting.

The tower would improve cellphone coverage and bandwidth for Verizon Wireless subscribers, especially near downtown. Verizon currently has a tower on Lion Mountain, but consultants say more coverage is needed to keep up with demand from smartphone users.

The tower is designed to allow two additional antennas from other wireless providers.

The half-acre site is on property owned by Tim and Linda Babiak east of Wisconsin Avenue at 626 Woodland Place. The proposed location was chosen to minimize impacts on nearby property.

The tower would be partially obscured by existing trees, including a row of 80-foot poplars and a single 50-foot pine tree.

“The faux pine tree cell tower should fit in fairly well aesthetically, although at 100 feet, it will protrude above the existing trees,” the planning staff noted in a report.

The planning staff earlier had recommended approval of the 100-foot fake tree, but now is recommending the council reduce the allowed height to no more than 70 feet. That would mean only one additional provider could share the pole.

“If the height can’t be reduced, then another site that does not obstruct Big Mountain views from downtown should be considered,” the planning report noted.

A second public hearing deals with amendments to the city sign law, creating special standards specific to performing art centers and schools to allow event promotions.

The council will hold a work session from 5 to 7 p.m. with Kimley-Horn Associates and MMW Architects about a parking structure feasibility study.

The regular meeting begins at 7:10 p.m.; both the work session and meeting are at Whitefish City Hall.