Diamond Tower’s application to locate a 150-foot cell tower off of mostly residential Club House Drive in Palm Coast includes several photographs of what the tower would look like from five different positions around the proposed site. A likeness of the tower–a thin, tall, grey monopole topped with a claw-like array of antennas–is pasted into the pictures.
The pole At first will have one antenna array ringing the tower at 145 feet. In the future it can add similar arrays at 135 and 125 feet.
It will be an eyesore or an irrelevance, depending on one’s perspective. What is not in dispute is that it will significantly improve cell service in a spotty area, which may prove the deciding factor, though for now only one carrier has pledged to sign on, according to the documentation Diamond turned into the city. In June 2021, Connie Chapman, a senior real estate and construction manager with AT&T, wrote that AT&T was “pursuing an installation on the proposed tower” at 145 feet.
The photographs may play a key role in determining whether the Palm Coast planning board approves Diamon’s application for a special exception to locate the pole near a residential area. The City Council in June approved Diamond’s lease of the 1,800-square-foot rectangle of land on a 1-acre city utility site at 7 Club House Drive, to build the tower there. It’s not a ritzy site. The city uses it for a sewer lift station. A hulking telecommunication wiring block also sites on the property. The site is zoned for mixed use and public or semi-public use.
But the lease is conditional on approval of the special exception. The city’s planning board takes up Diamond’s case for the special exception at a yet-to-be-scheduled hearing, likely in November or December.
The proposal has drawn sharp opposition form residents surrounding the utility site. Residents hope for a repeat of their defeat of Diamond’s previous proposal in the area–a tower that was to be built on the grounds of the Palm Harbor Golf Course. Threat of litigation ended that plan.
But opposition to the tower at the utility site rests on thinner grounds and faces a City Council and planning board largely out of patience for Nimbyist (not-in-my-back-yard) opposition to cell service in a city where complaints of lousy service are louder than towers are high, and where cell service is now an essential component of public safety, both for responders and for residents.
In Palm Coast, Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies and firefighter-paramedics depend on reliable cell service to connect their computer-assisted dispatching computers, without which their real-time communications in emergencies would be severely hampered. Just as critically: the overwhelming majority of residents now depend on reliable cell service to communicate by phone–or to call 911. Diamond Tower’s special exception application includes a key document: The Orange County 911 system in 2021 received 1.15 million calls. Only 11 percent of those originated from land lines. (The figures for Flagler County’s 911 system have been requested.) On the other hand, more than three-quarters of households in the county are connected to broadband within the house, to which phones connect, making ambiant cell service less critical except when power fails.
From Club House Drive, there’s no denying it: the monopole will jut out from the tree line along the Palm Harbor Golf Course’s greens like a spear, and it’ll be the most distinctive feature on the skyline, if not an unusual one but for that location. The monopole looks no different than its likeness in numerous places around town, including along Palm Harbor Parkway and Palm Coast Parkway. It will be at its most pronounced for residents at the eastern edge of Carlson Lane, south of Lake Forest Court, and especially northwest of Lake Forest Court. For residents of Carlson Lane, nearest Club House Drive, it will look like this:
For residents of Courtney Court, this is what it would look like:
Residents of Lake Forest Court now see a ring of trees around their cul-de sac. The tower will become a dominant feature of the skyline, close enough to count the antenna’s individual claws:
But the further south or north one goes on Club House, the less of a factor is the tower, which in many places gets lost behind existing vegetation.
In 2018, ending a decade that sw no new cell towers go up in the city, the Palm Coast City Council approved a contract with Diamond Communications to develop a Wireless Master Plan. The plan mapped several locations that needed better coverage in the city. The council approved new rules relaxing regulations in those areas, so Diamond could build towers there. Diamond built several towers without controversy, until it proposed the Palm Harbor Golf Course pole, and again the Club House Drive pole. The council approved a new tower off of Royal Palms Parkway in Town Center at the same time as it approved the Club House Drive lease. The Royal Palms Parkway site has drawn no opposition. It is surrounded by fallow land.
Diamond pays the city a $25,000 development fee for each site on which it is permitted to build a tower, at Diamond’s full expense. By way of rent, Palm Coast is paid 40 percent of fees communications companies like AT&T pay Diamond to rent space on the tower.
Residents oppose the tower on aesthetic and other grounds. City regulations allow for the denial of a special exception if a proposal “will adversely affect the public interest.” To Diamond, “The contrary is true,” it states in its application, “the Monopole will support the public interest through the provision of reliable wireless service in the area. In 2021, over 89.2% of 911 calls were made via wireless phones in neighboring Orange County. This shows the reliable wireless service is no longer a luxury but a necessity.”
The monopole will also be designed with so-called fall zone technology, not collapsing but folding over upon itself in a contained, 28′-foot radius on the parent parcel, according to the application.
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HayRide says
What antiquated clown would reject better cell service, don’t tell me. Monopole will block your view of the golf course!
Celia Pugliese says
Hayride clown : You can invite them to affect the value of your home and your health by your house be my guest! We are opposing it even if needed in court and with punitive damages if gets to that!! They have other city owned locations named already that they refuse to use under invented excuses. We are not against the tower but the location forcing us 160 to 300 feet to live under it 24-7 whether your convenience to satisfy your jealousy of not affording to reside in our golf course area or for some to talk to your grand kids that affect the value of our homes, our health and the pristine look of our area. Eat your hearts out as we are fighting it like hell as we did before and we won https://flaglerlive.com/160307/palm-harbor-cell-tower-killed/ simply because this city officials are inhibited with power and violate its own chart and the residential original zoning…among other things and for profiteering. Simply because residents peacefully never react to those zone changes…or if do without proper legal representation loose. We at protect Palm Coast Group do and try to preserve our quality of life, safety, the value of homes and also our right to happiness! Remember karma while you oppose our opposition now, sooner or later will happen in your block as well.
Jimmy says
No. They shot down your locations because they weren’t viable. They have looked high and low for a place to build a tower for 2 years. Enough is enough! This is the location. We need better cell service in PC! Build the tower, then build another in at PC Pkwy and Belle Terre!
Steve Kalabokes says
My question is where is the environmental impact analysts? It is required for all RF towers. Who is this being done in an area that is densely packed with homes. I doubt they have looked high and dry for a great location for 2 years. I doubt they gave it 2 minutes. My cell phone service is pretty good. My suggestion is that if you’re not happy with yours, why don’t you move?
starryid says
I bet dollars to donuts the wonderful City of Palm Coast approves this application.
Beam Me Up Susan says
I can only hope and dream that someday, for the couple of times a day that maybe, just perhaps, I gaze upon the skies on the horizon like a befuddled Trump and have to see an ugly metal pole. For it will be then that I will be reminded of the great signals I have in my home to talk with the grandbabies, and, who knows, maybe GODDAM 5G SERVICE LIKE THE REST OF THE NATION!!!
Celia Pugliese says
Invite The Goddam 5G service to seat outside your home. In our area our cell signal is fine…the damage to be inflicted to us is to service others not us. Get your taxes ready tell city to give me 750,000 for my home water front by their future tower and then you can do as you want and chat with y/grandbabies.
Peaches McGee says
If the citizens of this county had their way, they’re would no towers, no matter the technology.
Luddites, all of you!
Celia Pugliese says
Peaches then should I think of you as a communist resident having the state taking away the value of my home, ,my health and the pristine look of our area with your one sided perspective? Please volunteer to keep that tower by you, thank you. Those that want it can’t have it by their location not ours.
joseph hempfling says
just what Palm Coast needs; more ELECTRO MAGNETIC FREQUENCY (EMF) radiation exposure during a claimed PANDEMIC
to further adversely affect residents’ HEALTH issues; COVID being one of them ! AND all the time having the best answer in their
back pocket; FIBER. When will they learn or is it already too late ! while they spend time deciding on the design of same.
Wake Up Folks; 5-g kills whether it be SOONER OR LATER! Read the scientific studies !! PLEASE !
John says
You do realize you are exposed to hundreds of different radio frequency transmissions all the time? Cell service is but one, with relatively low power. I for one would love better coverage.
Bob J says
obviously, joseph hempfling says doesn’t realize that he probably has more EMF inside his home than the tower emits. Unless he has no electronics, or for that matter anything plugged in to power, he surrounds himself 24/7 with this.
Steven Kakabokes says
Do I guess you would not be opposed to the tower being built adjacent to your home. Go for it. Tell the city you will volunteer to have the tower built on your property. You’ll get lease paynn my ents from the cell phone company.
Jimmy says
Guess it’s time to bust out the ole tin hats!
Karen Pagliaro says
I live in Carlson Park Estates this is horrible it will be horrible to look at will bring our property values down and also what is the health issue of these towers we have a little children in this neighborhood that are growing up we don’t know what the outcome of these towers are to our health. Please find some where else. Linear park has a lot of empty space
Jimmy says
Your property values just went up a whole bunch the last 3-4 years. You’re doing fine. It’s not as if your home will be a slum overnight, geez.
Celia Pugliese says
Hey Jimmy ask them to locate this 5 G tower in your front lawn!
Why are such a coward hiding behind an alias? for which of the three evils you work? city, diamond or att?
Karen Pagliaro says
And why should my property value go down at all and concern is the health issues like grand children living there with the towers going up
Marvin Clegg says
The name cellular, early on, meant there would be a multitude of low wattage, lower elevation transmitter antennae placed closer together to increase capacity and reduce blindspots. Instead, it seems it became cheaper to install antennae as high as the law allowed, as far apart as the customer would stomach. With 5G, the range of each tower will be even less. Cellular companies need to be reminded that they are often using public lands for buried fiber and public airwaves. It’s possible there would be less public objection to less visible towers, even if more frequently spaced and the increased number of cells should handle more call and data volume. One major carrier had 1 bar of coverage on a brand new “5G” phone last week in ‘downtown’ Palm Coast and navigation was pathetically slow. Cellular was named cellular for a reason and it has not been developed as promised originally. I’ve urged Flagler County officials for years to form a citizen’s committee to look into why we pay the same rates as other areas for most services but don’t get the same attention…it’s not just a Palm Coast issue. And if Comm companies run into resistance hanging antennae or cable on power company poles, we should be reviewing the franchise or monopoly agreements that these public companies enjoy on public lands.
Celia Pugliese says
Marvin here last July 2022 amendment :
https://www.fcc.gov/media/over-air-reception-devices-rule#QA
Masts higher than 12 feet above the roofline may be subject to local permitting requirements for safety purposes. Further, masts that extend beyond an exclusive use area may not be covered by this rule.
Additional amendments 2022: https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/competition-infrastructure-policy-division/tower-and-antenna-siting . “That involve high intensity lighting in a residential area; or
That would cause RF radiation in excess of FCC-established limits”. If you want to become the lightning rod by your house you are welcome to ask the city for it! Not in 7 Clubhouse Drive!
Marvin Clegg says
You may have missed my point.The cellular companies, not homeowners, should mount more frequent cell sites of a lower elevation which would be less visible visible from afar. We already have electric poles in many areas or tall buildings so it shouldn’t be that hard to avoid putting up new taller towers. It May well cost more to put up more frequent cell locations locations, mama but this was always the design for cellular, by its nature, and these costs will be partlu offset by less tower cost, lower labor costs and insurance involved with taller towers and lighting, etc. The head in the sand approach will not succeed, and companies and the government simply need to be encouraged to think outside the Box more.
James says
“The name cellular, early on, meant there would be a multitude of low wattage, lower elevation transmitter antennae placed closer together to increase capacity and reduce blindspots. Instead, it seems it became cheaper to install antennae as high as the law allowed, as far apart as the customer would stomach. With 5G, the range of each tower will be even less. …”
You bring up an interesting point, it may not be radiation from the transceiver tower but the handset that’s the bigger danger. I’m not an expert on the matter, but the safety of the handsets have always been an open question… not the towers. I suspect some handsets even have adaptive gain circuitry that boosts the power of their output signal when searching/transmitting to a tower that’s not in optimal range (or on the fringe of it’s reception/transmission field). Same problem with WIFI devices, that’s why you really shouldn’t keep your laptop on your lap.
The paradox is that additional towers might lower the overall radiation danger.
Just my opinion.
Joe Runac says
The picture of Courtney Court view of this disaster is taken in front of my house. How would you feel if it was your house?
palmcoaster says
When it comes about the ridiculous excuse that our emergency services will benefit from this tower they practically lie as: WE [THE COUNTY] SPENT MULTIPLE MILLIONS ON ALL ENCOMPASSING NEW RADIO SYSTEM FOR $14.8 MILLION JUST WITHIN THE LAST FIVE YEARS . POLICE AND FIRE DO NOT USE CELL PHONES……ONLY AS A CONVENIENCE AND FOR PRIVACY !
THE ISSUE, THE CITY’S MONOPOLISTIC PROCEDURE AND THAT THEY FAIL THEIR OWN ZONING REG.
Locate this tower in one of many city owned lands that are not 160 to 300 ft from our homes! No Especial Exception to our residential zoning to satisfy another contractor and or greed.
I need to gets me some.... says
We need these things to live a better life as we progress into the 22nd century.
Look at them folks out in the west end of the county they can’t even get good internet service beyond dial-up because of the lying I’ll informed people around Palm Coast.
Celia Pugliese says
You are adding another lie to the pile justifying this new incorrect location for this tower like city lost with the same tower in the first location in 2021.: https://flaglerlive.com/wp-content/uploads/Letter-to-City-Council-re-Golf-Course-Cell-Tower-dated-01-17-21.pdf. The county blues without affordable broad band is the county’s fault, not us here around 7 Clubhouse Drive. Are you a mouth piece for which of the 3, city, Diamond or ATT? “A better life for you” as your description is for us, seriously devaluating our homes, damaging our health creating and eyesore in our beautiful residential original zone and affecting our quality of life. You can take this tower and stick it in…your living room as far as I can care.
Jimmy says
Thank you, normal person! Pay no attention to those commenting on here who still have AOL accounts, please.
Old Guy says
Make them put a Trump Flag on the pole and all will be ok.
Doug A says
Living off Pine Grove Drive just west of 95 the only way we have cell service is by using our Wi-Fi signal. After a hurricane and this last event we always loose power and the only way to make a call is going out in the yard to search for a signal and forget the internet. As everyone uses only cell phones anymore it is necessary for public safety for good cell coverage and this not in my backyard attitude is very narrow minded.
Celia Pugliese says
Doug, the #7 Clubhouse Drive tower won’t serve you at all so then do nit boycott our fight for a location change, as they own other larger parcels on wooded areas with no homes nearby.
Celia Pugliese says
If your cell carrier is not Verizon or T-Mobile and you have bad reception you need to switch to any of the two mentioned as the # 7 Clubhouse Tower wont help you. ATT versus Verizon or T-Mobile has ancient tech nowadays…and that is the reason why they need this tower and in red with 4 more within a one mile distance as reported. Maybe those here approving, will also get or invite to get one 160 ft from their home front door.
Skibum says
For the life of me, I continue to not understand why in the world it is felt necessary to have consensus of opinion by everyone who may (or may not) be within eyesight of a cell tower before approval is given to just build the damn thing and put it up for the benefit of the entire area! We all know where the dead spots are when we try and are still unable to make a cell phone call, some of which by the way, are important and even emergent. Communication is a more important priority than what some homeowner may see over the top of the trees in their residential neighborhood, and I defy anyone to provide FACTS that such a tower is negatively affecting their property value except maybe, just maybe slightly for someone adjacent to it. Just do it and be done with it!!!
Celia Pugliese says
For the life of you doesn’t mean we should have ours destroyed by loosing the value of our homes, our health and safety attracting all the area lightning in storms. Go and ask for one in your front yard for the life of yours and your cell connection. In our area our cell phones are fine and as this is an ATT tower will only serve ATT customers and most of us do not use them.
Skibum says
I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. By the way, if you check with a local realtor, I’m sure you will be enlightened to learn that there are quite a few things that have much more of an impact on property values in a given neighborhood than a single cell tower would ever have. In any case, good luck with your fight, but a cell tower is desperately needed in the area of the golf course and will be installed either where it is proposed now or somewhere nearby. I don’t think any resident will be successful keeping it out of the area altogether because of the dead spots in cell service that it is meant to help eliminate. And if it is an ATT tower, that doesn’t mean it will only benefit ATT customers because several of the cell providers share access to other carriers for their customers depending on which carrier has the strongest signal… that is what roaming on your cell plan is all about.
Karen says
US cell carriers are required by the government to accept any and all emergency 911 calls, regardless of your cell phone plan (roaming, bills paid, etc).
It’s possible for you to be out of range of your normal provider’s towers (so it looks like no service) and to have roaming voice disabled, but for the cell to still be able to talk to other towers for emergencies.
Shark says
I wonder if the mayor owns the property it will be put on??
starryid says
He lives in an area 0f Palm Coast that is zoned for 5 acre parcels.
PLENTY of open spaces there and not far from the proposed Club House Drive tower!
Realist says
It is time to recall all these elected idiots. No additional cell phone towers. They are a potential threat to health and safety. Palm Coast is going to hell because we elect the same caliber of officials. Human beings are the only specie that allows the dumbest amongst us to lead.
Joe D says
This may sound silly, but other areas (I think Orlando and other states with palm trees), attached artificial palm fronds around the pole, disguising the tower (and several levels of transmitters) as if it were a VERY tall palm tree. Disney uses the method to disguise light and speaker poles in its parks
It might just be too tall to disguise though.
The ORIGINAL land of no turn signals says
Come on now,life saving networks like Tiktok,Facebook,Instagram are urgently needed.
Barry H says
Build it there! We need it for the good of all.
It will be a asset to all of Palm Coast!!!
Vince says
The old folks don’t care about cell phone service because their home using a land line still. 🙄 palm coast is known for having dead spots everywhere. Plain and simple you should have cell phone service this isn’t bfe.
Celia Pugliese says
Massachusetts Town Threatens Verizon With Cease-and-Desist Order Over Cell Tower • Children’s Health Defense (childrenshealthdefense.org)
FLOWER HILL | Americans for Responsible Technology
Many of us have been advocates for RFK Jr’s work regarding vaccines for forty years. Wow was he correct !
Now this 5G new world that is coming and it’s is of critical concern because we really do not have 5G yet [they make you think you do by the indicator on your phone] so we have no actual 5G experience to judge by. Big Lou Vitale our departed good friend and EMI world expert told us that the real 5G is coming in late 2022 then 2023 and it is NOTHING like what we have known. Please note that the Flower Hill Federal Case from this JULY says this is not 1996 and your technology that Congress past is QUITE different. Is what the Judge saying is that you may NOT rely on the 1996 Congressional Federal Communication Act for legal relief ?
Our late Electromagnetic Engineer Lou Vitale that initiated and won our legal fight against the first location of this same tower, told us that Europe’s limits are HALF of the US. WHY ? Maybe they do NOT payoff the politicians !
This is the short run down of Lou’s expertise. You city of PC. experts decide.
Karen Pagliaro says
We are concerned about our children and our health
Celia Pugliese says
The reality of Protect Palm Coast Group opposition to the #7 Clubhouse Drive 5G tower “location”.
https://www.americansforresponsibletech.org/flower-hill-decision
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/massachusetts-verizon-cease-desist-cell-tower/
Timothy Patrick Welch says
Hey Libs
How about putting up some wind generators on the Golf Course.
Celia Pugliese says
The voice of envy only! If one can’t afford it lobby to be destroyed! Also HOA haters…
Joseph Barand says
Those who support this tower are just trying to keep them from being located in their own backyards. The figure they are safe if they can fuck you. Why don’t they install it at the Community Center, the Firehouse or Lininer Park?
Celia Pugliese says
Or by undeveloped wooded areas of Colbert Lane away from any homes there? After all is to serve those HOA’s located there like Grand Haven and others! Who is councilman Flukas GH resident kidding?
John says
Quick question, which would make a potential buyer not buy a home?
A cellular tower within view
No cellular service in the new home
Celia Pugliese says
The affected homes and its owners in question adjacent where this tower location is planned violating our city charter in a PSP city owned (because city and diamond and ATT will profit from tower) all these homes have fine cell and Wi-fi reception! The ones in Colbert Lane and new parcels to be developed are the ones that have poor reception , then erect the tower there, plenty of wooded vacant land there to locate this tower! The #7 Clubhouse Drive is a PSP small insufficient parcel that council, mayor, DeLorenzo former community development director and Ray Tyner planning chief approved for Diamond to request special exception to our PSP and residential zoning charter violating it, to be used for city rental profiteering at $17,000 a year. Our Carter reads a PSP, Public Semi Public use:
E. Public/Semi-Public Zoning District (PSP[PF22])
The purpose of the Public/Semi-Public District is to provide areas for government owned
facilities, religious institutions, civic buildings, community club facilities, educational/vocational
facilities, “non-profit organization facilities”, and essential public services, including transit
facilities, water and sewer utility plants and related facilities, and electrical power substations.
As per our charter:
http://agendas.palmcoastgov.com/attachments/42dde040-f336-4b9b-b1fa-edfd07aa1869.pdf
Stump Jumper says
A bunch of whiny Karens opposing the this for health reasons meanwhile sitting next to their wifi router as their phone works extra hard and uses more power to reach that far away tower. Besides that it’s being built on a utility lot. Most people don’t even pay attention to the tower to begin with. Most of the people complaining are the ones that don’t rely on cell service to get their daily jobs done because they’re mostly retired and still have a phone plugged into the wall. Bunch of crybabies.
marvin clegg says
A shame to spend all this energy on attacking each other’s viewpoints rather than think outside the box. Again, smaller, less noticeable, less powerful cell sites distributed in more “fill-in” spots are what the cell phone concept envisioned rather than the tall towers of the old low frequency radiophone days. So maybe folks should rally around the flagpole and push for something that might help satisfy everyone–better service that might cause the companies to invest a little more engineering and brainwork into the problem rather than the sledgehammer approach typically favored. These companies are using public airwaves to make money so maybe they could divert some advertising dollars and rather than try to entice more customers to overloaded infrastructure, actually invest in the future. Higher frequency, higher bandwidth services like 5G need cellsites that are nearer to each other and the customer and when you do that, there’s no need to put eyesores up above the trees. Or, they can wait until someone like Elon comes along and forces them to think smarter. Then you’ll have a lot more “stars” to view in the sky. :-)