One of Fayetteville's greatest attributes and one that sets it apart from most all other communities is its incredible natural beauty -- the wooded hills, the beautiful streams and lakes and the vistas where one can look out seemingly forever. Would it ever make sense to do anything that would detract from or diminish this great natural character of our town? Well, we seem to be doing just that. Now, as you look out in the midst of all that natural beauty, what do you see? Huge, unnatural looking monopole cell towers. They seem to be popping up like mushrooms.
One of my favorite places and views in town is at Lake Fayetteville and the scene looking south from the marina across the water to the beautiful wooded hill on the far side. Now, sadly, what draws attention there isn't the beautiful hill, but the 150-foot-tall, bright white cell tower on top of it.
How did we get to this situation where, in a city of great natural beauty, we seem to be planting more poles than trees? It appears that cell companies want their own tower and, of course, will pay big money to a landowner who will lease the land to put up a tower. In many cases that landowner is our city itself. On Township, for example, there is a city water tower that already has cell equipment on it and right next to it are not one but two cell towers.
Many forward-thinking and progressive towns such as McKinney, Texas, where my daughter lives, require cell equipment to be placed on existing structures: a building, a water tower or a high-voltage line support. These requirements help eliminate the presence of unsightly poles in their town. This may be one of the reasons why Money Magazine recently chose McKinney as the best place to live in the country for cities in its size category (200,000).
What do we need to do in Fayetteville to control the increasing number of cell towers? First, we need stricter requirements on where cell equipment can be placed. It should be on existing structures and cell companies should be required to share these spaces. Secondly, it is apparently much too easy to get a permit for a cell tower from the city Planning Commission and much too hard to appeal a decision they make to the City Council. It takes both council members from the ward involved plus a third one to even bring it up for discussion and possible appeal. How can this process be improved?
Until we get control of the proliferation of cell towers in Fayetteville, the beauty, livability and even the economic potential of Fayetteville will be compromised. I hope we as a city and those at city hall as our elected leaders will see the vision of a beautiful town -- one without cell towers.
Pete Heinzelmann
Fayetteville
The Disappearing Natural State
It seems that the residents of Northwest Arkansas have lost focus, and that has motivated me to do a little fact checking. Is it the natural beauty of the area, and the extreme differences between big-city living, that you wish to promote as reasons to come to the area? It was, in fact, the main reason I moved from Fort Smith to Rogers in 1996.
The relaxing drive from Rogers to Eureka Springs is a point of interest, and something residents have enjoyed and really took glee in telling their envious friends about for decades.
Accepting these as facts, how does destroying the "natural state" beauty of the area from near Avoca to Eureka Springs fit in the conservation of the natural beauty of the area?
It seems almost a certainty some of the new people, with big companies, with deep pockets, have convinced the apathetic citizens it will be great to save three, or four, minutes on the drive to Garfield, from Rogers. And later, you will save an additional five minutes on the drive to Eureka Springs.
To bike riders, nature lovers and people who really do not need, or want, to live in a place that resembles Tulsa, Kansas City, or even Springfield or Little Rock, this is not progress. It is change, however, for sure. There is nothing unique or beautiful about the stripped trees and foliage that will take decades to return, in trade for a faster trip to a place one goes to relax. It strikes me a bit like the saying from the Army: "Hurry up, and wait."
I and my fellow bikers have taken much too long, made extra stops, and soaked in each mile, as we ride from Rogers to Eureka Springs, or to Harrison, or on to Jasper. There is no explanation needed, as we just enjoy the beauty of the ride.
What has been destroyed, and what is going to be destroyed, will take decades to return, in the slightest way. But, when rich people can flee their stress-filled jobs, drive like they were on Dallas' Stemmons Freeway, save 10 minutes and be oblivious to everything around them, what was lost is not important, to them.
What you have lost is much more than the trees, foliage and small businesses. Take your pictures, record your videos and memorize the beauty of what is left of the Highway 62 drive to Eureka Springs, because all that makes the drive beautiful is being traded for a few minutes of drive time.
Glenn Scheer
Seligman, Mo.
Revive Line-Item Veto
Will Congress ever get it right? I'm referring to passing bills. It seems a bill could start out OK, then other bills not pertaining to the original get added on. Then the bickering and delays start and continue and, we the people, get more frustrated and start to wonder why we elected such people in the first place.
Candidates sound good while campaigning, but, once elected, something happens in Washington, D.C., and they seem to do the opposite of what their original intentions were. Let's do a few things: (1) Campaigns cannot last longer than three months; (2) there can be no attacks on opponents; and (3) only their accomplishments (if they're incumbents) should be reviewed. Then, in a nutshell, we can know something about the candidate. Unfortunately, we have to rely on what first-time candidates tell us, but hopefully, we'll keep a close watch on them.
Now, getting back to paragraph No. 1, here is my simple solution: Bring back the line-item veto. That way, only the one issue will be discussed and either passed or rejected. We need efficiency and a Congress who must realize they work for us. Not much time would be wasted and our employees (Congress) would give us the kind of government we deserve. Is that so difficult?
Jo Gaspord
Bella Vista
Choir Was Outstanding
We attended the Noel Christmas Program performed by the choral groups of Bentonville High School at the Arend Art Center. What a joy to hear these young voices sing about the real reason for Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Their performance was outstanding.
Ron and JoAnn Herold
Bella Vista
Questions For Clark
In the wake of the repeal of Ordinance 119, I have a challenge for Steve Clark, president of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce. Will Mr. Clark please promise to be truthful about conversations he has with prospective business owners who are considering moving an operation to Fayetteville? I predict that the repeal will damage Fayetteville's reputation nationally and internationally and make it difficult to attract new businesses and industries. But Mr. Clark will be truthful about this, won't he, as well as about other bits of political intrigue connected to the Repeal 119 movement, including efforts to position a member of his family as a possible mayoral candidate in 2016?
David Jolliffe
Fayetteville
Commentary on 12/15/2014