A 60-metre telecommunications tower planned for Madeira Park is one step closer to approval, now that the site has gotten the nod from local government.
In a staff report included in the Feb. 18 agenda for the Sunshine Coast Regional District’s planning and community development committee, the Egmont/Pender Harbour Advisory Planning Commission requested that Telus make the tower less intrusive by moving it farther from the sight line of Highway 101.
At the planning meeting, SCRD senior planner Yuli Siao said staff consider the proposed location of the tower at 13121 Sunshine Coast Hwy. appropriate and consistent with SCRD policies.
There were no comments from the public following the public consultation process for the tower.
The tower will help improve wireless communications and internet service in the area for residents, business owners and tourists. The location of the tower is on a site with a mix of forested and cleared areas, with little development.
Committee chair Alton Toth said the identified section of the highway the tower would service is notorious for bad cell coverage. He called the recommendation good news.
The motion to accept the recommendation was passed by rural directors unanimously with little discussion. Next, the Telus proposal will go to the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada agency for approval.
