No Cell Towers Near Crosswind
The Issue
PETITION TO STOP THE PROPOSED 200-FOOT CELL TOWER WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET OF RESIDENTIAL HOMES
To the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners
We, the undersigned residents, homeowners, and members of the surrounding community, respectfully ask the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners to DENY the proposed zoning amendment that would allow construction of a 200-foot cell tower approximately 600 feet from nearby homes.
This is not opposition to improved cellular service.
We support reliable communications infrastructure. We simply believe that a 200-foot telecommunications tower does not belong in such close proximity to an established residential neighborhood when more appropriate locations may be available.
WHY THIS MATTERS TO OUR COMMUNITY
A 200-foot tower is approximately the height of a 20-story building and would become a dominant permanent structure in an area where residents live, raise their families, and have invested their life savings into their homes.
At approximately 600 feet from residences, this is not a distant commercial structure. It would be a highly visible industrial-scale installation immediately adjacent to a residential environment.
1. The tower is incompatible with the character of the neighborhood
Residential neighborhoods are designed and developed around homes, streets, parks, landscaping, and community amenities—not a 200-foot industrial telecommunications structure.
Allowing a tower of this scale so close to homes could fundamentally change the character and appearance of the surrounding community.
We ask the Board to consider whether this is an appropriate land use for this particular location—not simply whether a telecommunications tower can technically be constructed there.
2. The Planning Commission has already rejected the proposal
The Manatee County Planning Commission has already voted against the proposed amendment.
That decision deserves significant consideration.
The Planning Commission exists to review land-use and zoning matters and make recommendations regarding development decisions. The fact that the proposal was not supported at that level demonstrates that there are legitimate planning and community concerns that should not simply be dismissed.
We respectfully ask the Board of County Commissioners to uphold the Planning Commission’s decision and deny the amendment.
3. The visual impact would be enormous
A 200-foot tower will be visible from a substantial distance.
Unlike a building that can be screened with landscaping or designed to blend into its surroundings, a tower of this height will rise dramatically above surrounding homes and trees.
Residents should not be forced to look at a 200-foot industrial structure from their:
Homes
Backyards
Bedrooms
Kitchens
Streets
Parks
Community areas
This would be a permanent change to the visual landscape.
4. The proximity to homes creates legitimate safety concerns
Even when a telecommunications tower is engineered to meet applicable requirements, residents have legitimate concerns about placing such a tall structure unusually close to residential properties.
Residents should have confidence that appropriate setbacks, structural engineering, maintenance requirements, emergency access, and site-security measures have been thoroughly evaluated.
The question should not simply be:
“Can this tower legally be built?”
The question should be:
“Is this the right location for a 200-foot tower when homes are only approximately 600 feet away?”
We believe the answer is no.
5. Future maintenance and equipment create additional neighborhood impacts
A cell tower is not simply a pole.
The development may include equipment cabinets, generators, fencing, lighting, access roads, utility infrastructure, maintenance vehicles, and other supporting facilities.
Residents deserve to know exactly what the completed site will look like—not merely what the tower itself will look like.
6. Noise and operational impacts should be considered
Depending on the equipment installed, telecommunications sites can include generators, cooling equipment, alarms, maintenance activity, and other sources of intermittent noise.
A residential neighborhood should not be subjected to unnecessary commercial or industrial activity when alternative locations could provide the same telecommunications service with less impact on residents.
7. Property owners should not be forced to absorb the consequences of someone else’s commercial infrastructure
Residents have purchased homes with reasonable expectations regarding the surrounding land use.
A 200-foot tower can affect the desirability and perception of nearby properties because of its appearance, scale, and proximity.
Even if the actual effect on property values varies from one location to another, residents should not have to bear the potential consequences of a major commercial telecommunications installation being placed immediately adjacent to their neighborhood.
8. There should be a serious examination of alternative locations
The community is not asking Manatee County to eliminate cellular service.
We are asking the County to require the applicant to demonstrate that this location is genuinely necessary and that reasonable alternative sites have been fully investigated.
Before approving a 200-foot tower near homes, the County should consider:
Existing towers that could potentially accommodate additional equipment
Commercial or industrial properties
County-owned property
Areas farther from residential neighborhoods
Locations with greater setbacks
Alternative tower designs
Co-location opportunities
Other sites capable of providing the required coverage
If another location can provide substantially the same telecommunications benefit while reducing the impact on nearby residents, that location should be preferred.
9. Approval could create a precedent for future towers
This decision is bigger than one tower.
If the County approves a 200-foot tower approximately 600 feet from homes, residents have legitimate concerns about what that could mean for future telecommunications proposals.
We ask the Board to establish a reasonable precedent:
Residential neighborhoods should not become the default location for massive telecommunications structures simply because land is available.
10. Our community deserves responsible growth
Manatee County is experiencing significant growth.
Growth requires infrastructure—but infrastructure must be planned responsibly.
Residents should not be forced to choose between supporting economic growth and protecting the character and quality of their neighborhoods.
We can have both.
We can support better cellular coverage while insisting that large telecommunications structures be located in places where their impacts on residents are minimized.
OUR REQUEST TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
We respectfully ask the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners to:
DENY THE PROPOSED ZONING AMENDMENT FOR THE 200-FOOT CELL TOWER.
We further ask the Board to:
Respect the Planning Commission’s decision to reject the proposal.
Require a thorough evaluation of alternative locations.
Consider the approximately 600-foot proximity to existing residences.
Evaluate the tower’s compatibility with the surrounding residential land use.
Consider visual, safety, noise, access, maintenance, and neighborhood impacts.
Protect the character and quality of life of surrounding residential communities.
Avoid establishing a precedent for placing 200-foot telecommunications structures immediately adjacent to residential neighborhoods.
We believe reliable cellular service is important.
We simply believe there are better places to provide it.
RESIDENT ACTION NEEDED
PLEASE DO MORE THAN SIGN THIS PETITION.
The Board of County Commissioners needs to hear directly from the people who will be affected by this decision.
Every resident should send an individual email.
A large number of respectful, personal emails from residents can demonstrate the breadth of community opposition.
Please email the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners:
Dr. Bob McCann:
drbob.mccann@mymanatee.org
Tal Siddique:
tal@mymanatee.org
George Kruse:
george.kruse@mymanatee.org
Jason Bearden:
jason.bearden@mymanatee.org
Mike Rahn:
mike.rahn@mymanatee.org
Amanda Ballard:
amanda.ballard@mymanatee.org
These contact addresses correspond with the current Manatee County Board of County Commissioners information published by the County. (My Manatee)
Thank you for listening to the residents you represent.
OUR MESSAGE IS SIMPLE:
WE SUPPORT BETTER CELL SERVICE.
WE DO NOT SUPPORT A 200-FOOT CELL TOWER 600 FEET FROM OUR HOMES.
DENY THE AMENDMENT.
Respectfully submitted by concerned Manatee County residents.
383
The Issue
PETITION TO STOP THE PROPOSED 200-FOOT CELL TOWER WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET OF RESIDENTIAL HOMES
To the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners
We, the undersigned residents, homeowners, and members of the surrounding community, respectfully ask the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners to DENY the proposed zoning amendment that would allow construction of a 200-foot cell tower approximately 600 feet from nearby homes.
This is not opposition to improved cellular service.
We support reliable communications infrastructure. We simply believe that a 200-foot telecommunications tower does not belong in such close proximity to an established residential neighborhood when more appropriate locations may be available.
WHY THIS MATTERS TO OUR COMMUNITY
A 200-foot tower is approximately the height of a 20-story building and would become a dominant permanent structure in an area where residents live, raise their families, and have invested their life savings into their homes.
At approximately 600 feet from residences, this is not a distant commercial structure. It would be a highly visible industrial-scale installation immediately adjacent to a residential environment.
1. The tower is incompatible with the character of the neighborhood
Residential neighborhoods are designed and developed around homes, streets, parks, landscaping, and community amenities—not a 200-foot industrial telecommunications structure.
Allowing a tower of this scale so close to homes could fundamentally change the character and appearance of the surrounding community.
We ask the Board to consider whether this is an appropriate land use for this particular location—not simply whether a telecommunications tower can technically be constructed there.
2. The Planning Commission has already rejected the proposal
The Manatee County Planning Commission has already voted against the proposed amendment.
That decision deserves significant consideration.
The Planning Commission exists to review land-use and zoning matters and make recommendations regarding development decisions. The fact that the proposal was not supported at that level demonstrates that there are legitimate planning and community concerns that should not simply be dismissed.
We respectfully ask the Board of County Commissioners to uphold the Planning Commission’s decision and deny the amendment.
3. The visual impact would be enormous
A 200-foot tower will be visible from a substantial distance.
Unlike a building that can be screened with landscaping or designed to blend into its surroundings, a tower of this height will rise dramatically above surrounding homes and trees.
Residents should not be forced to look at a 200-foot industrial structure from their:
Homes
Backyards
Bedrooms
Kitchens
Streets
Parks
Community areas
This would be a permanent change to the visual landscape.
4. The proximity to homes creates legitimate safety concerns
Even when a telecommunications tower is engineered to meet applicable requirements, residents have legitimate concerns about placing such a tall structure unusually close to residential properties.
Residents should have confidence that appropriate setbacks, structural engineering, maintenance requirements, emergency access, and site-security measures have been thoroughly evaluated.
The question should not simply be:
“Can this tower legally be built?”
The question should be:
“Is this the right location for a 200-foot tower when homes are only approximately 600 feet away?”
We believe the answer is no.
5. Future maintenance and equipment create additional neighborhood impacts
A cell tower is not simply a pole.
The development may include equipment cabinets, generators, fencing, lighting, access roads, utility infrastructure, maintenance vehicles, and other supporting facilities.
Residents deserve to know exactly what the completed site will look like—not merely what the tower itself will look like.
6. Noise and operational impacts should be considered
Depending on the equipment installed, telecommunications sites can include generators, cooling equipment, alarms, maintenance activity, and other sources of intermittent noise.
A residential neighborhood should not be subjected to unnecessary commercial or industrial activity when alternative locations could provide the same telecommunications service with less impact on residents.
7. Property owners should not be forced to absorb the consequences of someone else’s commercial infrastructure
Residents have purchased homes with reasonable expectations regarding the surrounding land use.
A 200-foot tower can affect the desirability and perception of nearby properties because of its appearance, scale, and proximity.
Even if the actual effect on property values varies from one location to another, residents should not have to bear the potential consequences of a major commercial telecommunications installation being placed immediately adjacent to their neighborhood.
8. There should be a serious examination of alternative locations
The community is not asking Manatee County to eliminate cellular service.
We are asking the County to require the applicant to demonstrate that this location is genuinely necessary and that reasonable alternative sites have been fully investigated.
Before approving a 200-foot tower near homes, the County should consider:
Existing towers that could potentially accommodate additional equipment
Commercial or industrial properties
County-owned property
Areas farther from residential neighborhoods
Locations with greater setbacks
Alternative tower designs
Co-location opportunities
Other sites capable of providing the required coverage
If another location can provide substantially the same telecommunications benefit while reducing the impact on nearby residents, that location should be preferred.
9. Approval could create a precedent for future towers
This decision is bigger than one tower.
If the County approves a 200-foot tower approximately 600 feet from homes, residents have legitimate concerns about what that could mean for future telecommunications proposals.
We ask the Board to establish a reasonable precedent:
Residential neighborhoods should not become the default location for massive telecommunications structures simply because land is available.
10. Our community deserves responsible growth
Manatee County is experiencing significant growth.
Growth requires infrastructure—but infrastructure must be planned responsibly.
Residents should not be forced to choose between supporting economic growth and protecting the character and quality of their neighborhoods.
We can have both.
We can support better cellular coverage while insisting that large telecommunications structures be located in places where their impacts on residents are minimized.
OUR REQUEST TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
We respectfully ask the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners to:
DENY THE PROPOSED ZONING AMENDMENT FOR THE 200-FOOT CELL TOWER.
We further ask the Board to:
Respect the Planning Commission’s decision to reject the proposal.
Require a thorough evaluation of alternative locations.
Consider the approximately 600-foot proximity to existing residences.
Evaluate the tower’s compatibility with the surrounding residential land use.
Consider visual, safety, noise, access, maintenance, and neighborhood impacts.
Protect the character and quality of life of surrounding residential communities.
Avoid establishing a precedent for placing 200-foot telecommunications structures immediately adjacent to residential neighborhoods.
We believe reliable cellular service is important.
We simply believe there are better places to provide it.
RESIDENT ACTION NEEDED
PLEASE DO MORE THAN SIGN THIS PETITION.
The Board of County Commissioners needs to hear directly from the people who will be affected by this decision.
Every resident should send an individual email.
A large number of respectful, personal emails from residents can demonstrate the breadth of community opposition.
Please email the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners:
Dr. Bob McCann:
drbob.mccann@mymanatee.org
Tal Siddique:
tal@mymanatee.org
George Kruse:
george.kruse@mymanatee.org
Jason Bearden:
jason.bearden@mymanatee.org
Mike Rahn:
mike.rahn@mymanatee.org
Amanda Ballard:
amanda.ballard@mymanatee.org
These contact addresses correspond with the current Manatee County Board of County Commissioners information published by the County. (My Manatee)
Thank you for listening to the residents you represent.
OUR MESSAGE IS SIMPLE:
WE SUPPORT BETTER CELL SERVICE.
WE DO NOT SUPPORT A 200-FOOT CELL TOWER 600 FEET FROM OUR HOMES.
DENY THE AMENDMENT.
Respectfully submitted by concerned Manatee County residents.
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Petition created on August 13, 2026