Letters to the editor: 07/05/01

Cell tower is hardly 'nightmare'

To the Editor:

Mr. Duckham said the tower is "...my worst nightmare." After a year and a half in Vietnam, three helicopter crashes and losing both parents to particular vicious forms of cancer, I feel I could suggest a few more realistic ideas for a "worst nightmare."

Mr. Duckham also asked, "...what would happen to my development (if the Cashiers tower is allowed to be completed)?" Does this multi-million dollar development hinge upon the presence or absence of a single cell tower? I am sure many residents of Jackson County would consider another mountainside development to be much more of a blight upon the landscape than any distraction offered by a cell tower.

In addition, Mr. Duckham, an apparently financially-comfortable non-resident, has attempted to use his financial powers to coerce Jackson County into protecting his investments. While I am not an original resident of Jackson County, I have married a local woman (Virginia Burrell) whose family has lived in the area for generations. Together we have made substantial investments in Jackson County as our permanent and full-time residence. I find few problems with the sight of an occasional cell tower in exchange for the safety factors afforded the residents of our county whose friends and families, unlike Mr. Duckham, must navigate our mountain roads in all seasons. Is this not a better investment for the people of Jackson County than the financial interests of a Florida land developer? (On a personal note, my wife insists that I keep a cell phone in my vehicle, since I am in a wheelchair and cannot get out and go for help in case of an accident or vehicle breakdown.)

Finally, Mr. Duckham has sought to draw Jackson County into a dubious lawsuit with vague promises of personal liability. Mr. Duckham stated, "I would risk everything monetarily to prevent this (cell tower)." Well, if Mr. Duckham's interest is not money, perhaps he would like to donate his property to Jackson County for a park to improve the mountain views for everyone. (On a related note, would developers whose properties face Mr. Duckham's development be able to sue Mr. Duckham for impairing their views?) Imagine, if Mr. Duckham is willing to go to these extremes to stop the cell tower, to what legal lengths would he go to protect himself from any liability incurred by Jackson County.

Reasonable regulation of cell towers, as with billboards, is not a bad thing. However, Jackson County has little need for the machinations of a self-serving Florida developer masking his greed under a mantle of civic responsibility. The tower in Cashiers is being built legally and will provide a positive service to that area of our county. In contrast, Mr. Duckham seeks to use legal loopholes to stop the tower for his own personal gain. Be assured, Mr. Duckham will still have his multi-million dollar development with or without a cell tower in Cashiers. Indeed, good cellular communications may even prove to be a selling point, thereby enhancing the value of the development rather than distracting from it. In this period of financial stress, Jackson County does not need the expenses of the litigation which will surely ensue if we pander to Mr. Duckhams's schemes. Mr. Duckham will still make his millions and Cashiers will have the comfort of good communications.

Michael Milligan, U.S. Army Retired (Disability)

Tuckasegee

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