Politics & Government

New Emergency Communications Tower in Wentzville Could Reach 330 Feet

Negotiations to place the tower on city-owned property at the police department ended when St. Charles County decided to purchase an adjoining site.

Last week, Wentzville Patch brought you some background information about the new St. Charles County emergency communications system, with its network of 12 new towers, that was designed to bring the county into compliance with FCC mandates.

READ MORE: Communication Tower Site on Meyer Road Just One of 12 Proposed for County

Patch spoke with Jennifer George, director of policy for St. Charles County about some specifics for the towers being placed in the Wentzville area.

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George corrected a mistake on the the County's website that currently lists three separate locations in the west St. Charles County area: one at Indian Camp Creek Park, one on South Point Prairie Road, and one on Meyer Road in Wentzville.

The South Point Prairie Road location, she said, is just a mailing address for Indian Camp Creek Park and should not be listed separately.

Find out what's happening in Wentzvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Indian Camp Creek Park location, George said, "Is very far north on the county border. And then you go between that site and a site we will potentially be building in Lake Saint Louis, and you have a gap there in coverage that requires a tower in Wentzville."

The Wentzville Police Department will have to be hardwired into the system, which is why the County chose the location on Meyer Road for the proposed 330-foot tower.

The County had originally hoped to build directly on the police station property, George said. The .39-acre property that was purchased has a legal address on Meyer Road but is closer to Schroeder Creek Parkway—close to the police station. 

But some of the county's plans are still up in the air.

"Until we have a finalized system for the entire county we don’t essentially consider any of the sites completely final," George said. "Obviously with the sites we have purchased or that are already county-owned property, we are beginning the process of starting work on those sites."

All of St. Charles County's 12 towers will be of the lattice-style design because of the microwave equipment that must be installed along with the radio equipment. That kind of equipment, George said, doesn't mount very well on a monopole tower.

"If you think of that big old dish on a single stick, the stability of the structure isn’t there," George said.

St. Charles County is not subject to municipal zoning, so the site plan and permitting will not be going through the city's Planning and Zoning Commission.

Along with the proposed 330-foot tower in the city of Wentzville, towers are planned at the Sheriff's Department in O'Fallon (345 feet) and the St. Charles County Highway property on St. Peters Howell Road in St. Peters (400 feet).

 


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