The City Council of Winston-Salem will meet to discuss allowing cell tower construction to take place in residential areas. This is in an effort to improve wireless and data services to home consumers in the vicinity. Cell towers are required in all areas, if consumers would like wireless coverage in their homes. According to a representative from a cell tower company, as reported on myfox8.com, “Nationally, about 30 percent of homes use wireless service exclusively. In Forsyth County, about three of every four calls to 9-1-1 come from wireless devices. The wireless companies – our customers – need to meet their customers’ demands for service and in order to do that they need antennas in multiple locations, especially in areas of high demand.”
If the current ordinance is amended and cell towers are permitted in residential zones, property owners need to be aware of the terms of the lease agreement if approached for cell tower placement. Vertical Consultants can work to negotiate terms that establish rights that are beneficial to the landowner while limiting the obligations that same party may have under that same agreement, or more to the point get the most and give up the least. A property owner’s first step will need to be to establish “True Value” of its site and go from there.
(http://myfox8.com/2014/01/30/winston-salem-to-consider-cell-towers-in-residential-areas/)
