CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A telecommunication company has plans to potentially build a 170-foot cell tower at the Moultrie Middle School campus in Mount Pleasant.
T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint currently use an existing water tank in the Old Village as a telecommunication tower.
Officials with Milestone Communications say the three carriers reached out to the company because the water tank can no longer accommodate any changes to the equipment.
The company is spearheading the project for the three carriers. The plan is to replace the equipment at the water tank by moving that over to a new structure at Moultrie Middle School.
The president of Milestone Communications said they spent a lot of time with the Charleston County School District to determine a location and the next step would be to reach out to the community.
Leaders with the company say they would pay $35,000 in fees to CCSD when the tower is constructed. The school district would also receive 40% of revenue that the three companies would pay to occupy the tower. That number is approximately $30,000 a year for the district.
Some Mount Pleasant residents have expressed concerns about having a cell tower built right next to a school. Sophie Fowler has two children that go to Moultrie Middle School. She says there isn't enough data and research to know that there wouldn't be any health effects.
"My whole thing is while science is trying to figure it out, don't put my child at risk," Fowler said. "There have been scientists telling the world their concerns about the long-term effects of RF emission exposure.
On a website created by the company, Milestone Communications state that Milestone "regularly measures its facilities and ensures that they are well below the FCC safety limits."
Parents and community members are still concerned about whether or not those FCC regulations are correct if there have been no long-term studies or data.
CCSD officials confirmed that the company has reached out to them, but they say no deal has been finalized. The school district says the company is going through their initial findings to determine whether or not this project would be feasible.
The company still needs to file an application with the Board of Zoning Appeals. Officials say they are waiting to conduct a town hall meeting, before submitting the application.
For more information about the company’s project,click here for their website.
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