(La Porte County, IN) - A request to put up a 450-foot tall communications tower in La Porte County has been turned down.

 

The tower providing financial information from Chicago to New York would have been placed on about 30 acres on 1000 North in Springfield Township.  Currently, such a tower under local regulations cannot be more than 190 feet in height.  That’s why a special exception was sought from the La Porte County Board of Zoning Appeals, which denied the request Tuesday night.

 

La Porte County Commissioner Steve Holifield said many nearby residents felt such a tall tower would be an eyesore in a scenic area featuring a lot of rolling countryside.

 

“People don’t want it.  That’s extreme,” he said.

 

Concerns were also expressed by BZA members about a house on the property that could be hit if the tower ever fell.  The tower would have been used to transmit financial information from Chicago to New York.

 

Holifield said another company is interested in putting up a similar tower close to where he lives in the Mill Creek area.  He hopes the BZA decision will encourage that company to look elsewhere.

 

“I hope it sends a strong message to them.  We don’t want you.  Go away,” he said.