Everglades City
by Kelly J Farrell
The Everglades community rallied to take down Collier County’s plans for a 360-foot tall communications tower planned at the Ochopee Fire Station on U.S. 41. Instead, an existing tower should be maintained in Carnestown.
“I’m just really appalled to think a 360-foot tower is being considered in Big Cypress [National Preserve], which is truly God’s country.” said Donna Knapp, a longtime Naples resident and Everglades advocate.
Photos by Kelly J Farrell
The tower actually got bigger — with plans growing from the initial 350-feet tall plan to 360-feet tall — before the whole idea was finally scrapped for that Ochopee site by Commissioners during a public hearing on March 25.
Human health risks, disturbance to wildlife crossings, obscuring dark skies for star viewing, harming ecotourism and infringing particularly on indigenous culture were among the problems cited by the opposition to the site.
Living Near the Proposed Tower
Residents living as close as 1,000 feet, include the Shealys, and indigenous families living even closer at distances less than 500 feet or even within 300 feet or less from the tower — all expressed concerns about health effects of living near a tower. Among many research groups, the Environmental Health Trust has published numerous studies showing the health risks from being exposed to electromagnetic radiation, with damage to children’s developing brains among the higher risks.
Health concerns ranging from dizziness and headaches to breast cancer when people live too close to the towers, was noted by Knapp.
“These things really typically do not belong in preserves,” Knapp said of the tower. “They’re more for industrial places,” she added.
Her suggested solution—to just leave the original tower in Carnestown, which is on property owned by the National Park Service — is what Collier County Commissioners finally decided would be the best approach in their 5-0 vote on March 25. However, the NPS has yet to make a public statement on that possibility.
From One to Many
The first person to publicly oppose the plans for the tower was Jack Shealy of the Jack Shealy Band, Skunkape Research Headquarters and Trail Lakes Campground. The Shealy property is home to multiple generations of the Shealy family and is adjacent to the proposed tower site.
The Collier County Planning Commission had approved the site for the new tower in February, moving it forward to the Collier County Commissioners, with only Shealy present at that time to oppose it.
However, once Shealy began circulating the news about the proposal on social media and through other outlets, many opponents came forward, including members of the Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes as well as the Independents, including those who are federally recognized as the Independent Traditional Seminole Nation.
The indigenous Billie family are longtime neighbors of the Shealys and live adjacent to the proposed tower site, at an even closer proximity.
There were more than 30 people signed up to speak in opposition and even more — at least 50 people — present to express their solidarity at the Collier County Commission meeting on March 25. This was in addition to more than 2,100 signatures on the petition opposing the tower in Ochopee posted on change.org.
Several Miccosukee, Seminole and Independents made public comments against the tower’s intrusion on their culture and sacred grounds, as well as harming human health and the environment.
“I cannot believe how many Miccosukee and Seminole people showed up,” exclaimed Robert Rosa, chairman of the American Indian Movement, a nonprofit that advocates for indigenous people’s rights throughout the world.
Why a 360-foot Tower?
Collier County staff, collaborating with other local, state and federal officials, stated the tower was needed in Ochopee for law enforcement and emergency communications. An existing tower located on U.S. 41 and State Road 29 in Carnestown is on property owned by the federal government. The National Park Service is in the process of redeveloping the site for a new welcome center to Big Cypress National Preserve. Part of that plan is to demolish the existing tower. However, the National Park Service did not provide information about the plans as requested by this reporter.
Communications towers include leases that allow profit from cellular phone company usage.
Legal Problems
Among the problems with the proposed site for the tower is a deed restriction stating that the property was given to the county only if it continued to be used for fire suppression.
In 1977, the Shealy’s neighbor of the time, Ester Davison, donated the property to Collier County to establish the fire department with the Shealy’s ancestors.
The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida also sent the Collier County government a letter reminding them of the Big Cypress Enabling Legislation of 1974 protecting indigenous people’s customary use of lands and water within the preserve.
Collier County planning officials and county attorney Jeff Klaskow proposed suing to remove the deed restrictions. The deed stated that if the property was used for anything other than fire suppression then the property ownership would revert back to the heirs.
Commission Conclusion
Collier County Commissioners were initially going to move forward with suing to remove the deed restrictions and continue to look for alternative sites, according to a motion by Commissioner Bill McDaniel But, after numerous public speakers, the Commission changed course.
Commissioner Burt Saunders said he didn’t believe his colleagues on the dais felt comfortable with the plan in Ochopee. So, McDaniel changed his motion and instead the Commission unanimously voted for the site to no longer be an option for the tower and for staff to work with the National Park Service and other legislators to see if the existing tower in Carnestown could continue to be used for the site of the communications tower that has existed for decades.
“I’m very happy with the outcome and the way that our Commissioners listened to their constituents, addressed the problems with the plans and came to a reasonable decision in favor of the people who took time to make public comment,” said Shealy.
“It’s situations like this that show the true character of the Collier County Board of Commissioners, and show how the system works when people take the time to speak out and make decision for good causes,” Shealy said.
