Sauk County Residents ‘Wired-Up’ Over Proposed Tower
Posted: 3:14 pm CDT September 20, 2004Updated: 4:56 pm CDT September 20, 2004
SPRING GREEN, Wis. -- Sauk County’s bluffs are beautiful to see, but create a gap in Fire, Police and EMS emergency communications.The county is trying to fix that gap to make it safer for all residents of the county. But fixing it means erecting more communication towers.One tower is proposed to stand in a picturesque field near the village of Spring Green.That proposal is being met with fierce opposition.Mark Cupp, executive director of Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board, said the 92-mile stretch of land from Spring Green to the Mississippi River is one of the last untouched areas of the Wisconsin River Valley.
Cupp said a communications tower would ruin that.“The proposed site with a 250 foot tower and strobe light and beacon would be highly visible from the Wisconsin River,” said Cupp.Cupp said the Riverway Board has no control to stop the construction because the property it would sit upon is just outside their jurisdiction.Which is why he and board co-chairman, Timm Zumm, are proposing a different plan.
"By moving the tower a little one way or the other, the system would function better and it would not destroy pristine view,” said Zumm.Zumm and Cupp are proposing placing the new communications tower on top of the village’s water tower and adding a second smaller tower if needed.A single tower alone costs $660,000. The cost of two smaller towers, according to the county, would be more than $1 million.“If they want to come forth with half million dollars we will listen to them,” said Sauk County board member Tommy Lee Bychinski.
Bychinski said the county won’t support passing the extra cost on to taxpayers.Bychinski says he understands the importance of preserving the area’s beauty, but you can’t put a price on a life.“If we put up 250 ft tower and it saves one person, it's well worth more than what we'd have to put up for the other towers,” said Bychinski.The two sides also disagree on how the tower should look.The tower board will meet Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at the Sauk County Courthouse. At that time the county could approve the land acquisition for the tower.
Cupp said a communications tower would ruin that.“The proposed site with a 250 foot tower and strobe light and beacon would be highly visible from the Wisconsin River,” said Cupp.Cupp said the Riverway Board has no control to stop the construction because the property it would sit upon is just outside their jurisdiction.Which is why he and board co-chairman, Timm Zumm, are proposing a different plan."By moving the tower a little one way or the other, the system would function better and it would not destroy pristine view,” said Zumm.Zumm and Cupp are proposing placing the new communications tower on top of the village’s water tower and adding a second smaller tower if needed.A single tower alone costs $660,000. The cost of two smaller towers, according to the county, would be more than $1 million.“If they want to come forth with half million dollars we will listen to them,” said Sauk County board member Tommy Lee Bychinski.Bychinski said the county won’t support passing the extra cost on to taxpayers.Bychinski says he understands the importance of preserving the area’s beauty, but you can’t put a price on a life.“If we put up 250 ft tower and it saves one person, it's well worth more than what we'd have to put up for the other towers,” said Bychinski.The two sides also disagree on how the tower should look.The tower board will meet Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at the Sauk County Courthouse. At that time the county could approve the land acquisition for the tower.Copyright 2008 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
