Cedar Rapids school board kills proposal for Johnson Elementary cell tower

Verizon Wireless will have to find somewhere other than Johnson School of the Arts to place a cell phone tower.

During Monday's regular meeting the Cedar Rapids Community School District school board, following a recommendation from Superintendent Dave Benson, removed an agenda item regarding approval of a contract for Verizon Wireless to install a cell phone tower above the elementary school, located at 355 18th St. SE, Cedar Rapids.

“It is now my opinion that this issue should not go forward,” Benson said during the meeting, citing communication from community members on the proposal.

During the Oct. 28 regular meeting board members tabled voting on the five-year agreement, which would've provided the district with $25,800 in the first year and an annual 3-percent increase, following a public hearing in which residents of the Johnson neighborhood voiced concerns about the action. Administrators then hosted a public information session at the school on Nov. 5.

“I think enough questions have been raised in this process that made us pause and say, ‘Is this the best thing for kids?'” said board member Ann Rosenthal, who advocated dropping the item from consideration.

Sharon Collins, a pediatrician at Pediatric Center, P.C., 411 10th St. SE, Cedar Rapids, sent board members a letter referencing the potential health threats that cell phone towers pose. A district email announcing the public information session stated that a safety study conducted by an unnamed independent agency concluded that a cell phone tower “poses no safety hazard to students, staff and community members.”

Collins also spoke at the Monday evening meeting, expressing joy at the board's decision to drop the issue for the time being.

“I definitely wanted them to consider not putting the tower there for the health of the kids,” she said. “I know the district needs the money … but at what cost?”

The Cedar Rapids district has cell phone towers at three other locations: Wilson and Roosevelt middle schools and Kingston Stadium. Rosenthal said it's too early to tell whether or not Monday's action will affect the district's existing cell phone towers but she predicted a potential impact on future proposals for new installations.

“I don't know if we'd see it again,” said Rosenthal, noting that the tower at Kingston Stadium “seems appropriate” but she didn't know enough about the middle school structures. “It depends on the location.”