**PLEASE NOTE THE APPLICANT HAS WITHDRAWN FORMALLY WITH THE COUNTY ON THIS PROPOSAL**

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

PETITION TO STOP THE PROPOSED CELL TOWER AT HIGHPOINTE 

To the Martin County Board of County Commissioners

We, the undersigned residents, property owners, and community members of Highpointe, respectfully urge the Martin County Board of County Commissioners to DENY the proposed zoning amendment and application to construct a 120-foot “stealth” cell tower.  

While we fully support advanced telecommunications and reliable regional communications infrastructure, we strongly oppose placing a massive, industrial-scale structure immediately adjacent to an established residential neighborhood. This tower does not belong on a "Priority Site 4" residential border when more appropriate, non-residential locations are fully viable and available.

FORMAL GROUNDS FOR OPPOSITION

Existing Neighborhood Infrastructure (No Gap in Service): The entire Highpointe community is already completely wired with premium AT&T fiber-optic internet funded directly by our HOA. Residents have exceptional, high-speed, and reliable connectivity inside their homes. There is no legitimate community gap or consumer need for an intrusive cell tower to provide 5G home internet or basic digital access, rendering this specific installation technologically redundant.

Tower Redundancy & Proximity to Prior Approvals: The Board of County Commissioners recently approved a 120 foot tower at a "Priority Site 3" location near the local 7-Eleven on Kanner HWY, which sits within 1 to 2 miles of Highpointe. This newly proposed tower represents an unnecessary duplication of infrastructure. The County should strictly enforce its co-location guidelines, requiring the applicant to utilize existing or recently approved commercial sites rather than expanding into residential zones.

Severe Proximity & Property Value Impacts: At less than 400 feet from our closest neighbor property lines, this is not a distant, well-buffered commercial structure. Real estate industry studies consistently show that residential home values face a significant drop when a massive cell tower is directly visible from property boundaries. This placement imposes an unfair, severe financial penalty on homeowners—who invested their life savings under reasonable zoning expectations.

Negative Aesthetic and Environmental Impact (Failure to Meet "Stealth" Legal Definition): A 120-foot industrial structure completely disrupts the local landscape, ruins residential views, and diminishes the natural aesthetic appeal of our community. Furthermore, this proposed monopole fails to meet the statutory "stealth" definition under Martin County Land Development Regulations, which requires that a structure be designed so that an average person is unaware of its presence as a tower. Because a structure of this immense scale cannot be obscured from neighboring residential sightlines, designating it as a "stealth" design relies on an improper legal classification.

Traffic and Operational Encroachment: The development is not merely a single pole; it introduces localized industrial infrastructure including equipment cabinets, safety fencing, and ongoing utility infrastructure. Construction and routine maintenance vehicles threaten to create severe traffic congestion along a vital corridor already heavily burdened by South Fork High School commuter traffic.

OUR FORMAL REQUEST TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

We respectfully request that the Martin County Board of County Commissioners uphold the integrity of our residential zoning laws and DENY the proposed application. We further ask the Board to mandate a strict evaluation of alternative sites, requiring the applicant to demonstrate a genuine, unserved technical need that cannot be fulfilled through co-location, commercial zones, county-owned property, or industrial areas located farther away from residential boundaries.

We believe reliable cellular service is important; we simply insist that large telecommunications structures be planned responsibly where their impacts on local families are minimized.

If you support, please sign this petition