[Winona Online Democracy] A couple people wrote to suggest that wind turbines and cell towers be co-located. From my experience this may work in some select locations, but definitely not all. The two technologies obviously have very different geographic needs. Wind turbines need to locate only where there is the best wind; cell towers need to serve the phoning public (and don't we curse when there isn't good coverage everywhere!). In populated areas cell towers need to be located within a 1/4-mile target area in order for the various cells to be properly integrated among themselves. The tower service area (cell) may be a couple miles across, but the center of it needs to be within a 1/4 mile of their desired location. Where there is good wind, wind turbines are packed within a few hundred feet of each other across the ridge as far as the eye can see. (Has anyone seen the vast stretches of windmills on the hills in the NE Bay Area north of Oakland?).
It is common for the local ordinances that govern cell towers to require that towers be built to allow the co-location of an additional set of antennas or two - I don't know if Winona's or Winona County's ordinances have these provisions. This requires a taller tower sometimes, since two different sets of antennas need to be separated by about 15 feet vertically and the tower itself needs to be engineered to handle the extra loads. It would certainly be reasonable to write a wind turbine regulation requiring the wind towers to accommodate a couple sets of wireless communication antennas. That way when cell phone companies come shopping for tower sites there may already be a tower available within a reasonable distance of their target. Phil Carlson, Mpls _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
