BRADENTON, Fla. — The idea is to improve telecommunications between agencies in Manatee and Sarasota counties.
- Demonstration planned Monday in Brandenton to object to radio tower under construction
- Tower behind Kinnan Elem in the 3400 block of Tallevast Road
- County Commissioners have voted to stop construction on tower for now
However, a scheduled new tower has residents of one Manatee neighborhood upset about the location.
Residents of neighborhoods near Kinnan Elementary School, wedged between Bradenton and Sarasota, are upset and held a demonstration Monday afternoon near the front of the school.
"It's not a good spot and the county kept citizens in the dark," said organizer Marley Boss.
Yard signs touting "Move the Tower" have popped up throughout the area near Kinnan Elementary. Residents behind the push to stop construction on the tower say they were blindsided when work began on the 185-foot radio tower earlier this year.
Bradenton's city commission also reported learning about the construction relatively late in the day.
"We became aware when we started getting phone calls from the residents asking 'What's this foundation? What's going up?'" said city commissioner Robbin DiSabatino.
The residents say there was a lack of transperency before work started on the tower behind the school in the 3400 block of Tallevast Road. Now, they say they want residents and school parents to know what is going on.
"The goal is for parents to know what’s going on behind the school," said resident Randy Thies. "It’s only 250 feet from their baseball diamond."
Manatee County officials said they discussed the tower at 12 comission meetings during the last five years.
Still, county commissioners have voted to stop work on the tower for the time being. A public hearing will be held about the construction next week.
Protesters at the demonstration Monday said they hope to pack that meeting with enough residents to make people think twice about the project.
"So the community and county knows that we don't want this tower close to our schools and our homes," Boss said.