MORGANTOWN — A communications tower that allows first responders to service parts of Monongalia and Marion counties must come down — soon.
Jimmy Smith, who heads MECCA 911 and the county’s office of emergency management, said the 480-foot Catherines Knob tower is failing.
The structure provides communications for the western end of Monongalia County.
“The current tower is in failure mode. It’s critical that this tower is brought down,” Smith told the Monongalia County Commission. Smith will bring a bid back before the commission next week to begin that process.
The existing wired structure will be replaced with a 340-foot freestanding tower.
“The cost of the overall project, and it’s multiple projects here — bringing down the current tower, moving equipment and construction of a new tower. We’re looking at significant cost. We’re going to exceed $1 million in all phases of this, but it’s something that we need to do for the safety of the public,” Smith said.
The hope is that the project can be completed within three months or so.
In the meantime, first responders in the western end of Mon — as well as a portion of Marion County — will need to alter their means of communication.
“Those communications will be limited. It looks like it’s going to be more mobile communication than portable communication, which means they’ll have to be in their vehicles to communicate back to the 911 center,” Smith said.
Additionally, U.S. Cellular uses the existing tower and it is expected that service in the Daybrook and Fairview areas will be impacted once the tower comes down.
Smith said the county is applying for a state tower access assistance fund grant to help offset the cost of the project.
In other news, the commission held a public hearing before approving an amendment to the Star City TIF that would allow the town to sell property acquired as part of the TIF-funded overhaul of Boyers Avenue.
Tom Aman, the county’s bond counsel, explained further.
“That project created some green space along Boyers with some vacant properties that the town feels would be attractive for commercial development,” Aman said. “They would like to try to market and attempt to sell those properties for redevelopment purposes.”
