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Verizon Working To Place New Cell Tower In Westmoreland County

NORTH HUNTINGDON (KDKA) -- With the total area of Rhode Island, it stands to reason that everywhere you look in Westmoreland County there seems to be a cell tower, and if approved by North Huntingdon supervisors Thursday night, there's going to be another one.

Thomas Kerber's farm property will be the location of the new tower, set to stand 193 feet tall.

"The Verizon company approached us about nine months ago looking for a site," he said. "This is a higher elevation and everything to the south is in the valley, they're having problems with service."

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The new tower will not look like others in the area. It will actually look more like a flag pole with the receiver and transmitters inside.

It is not very controversial, which makes it much different from cell tower propositions of the past.

In Fort Allen, a cell tower civil war nearly broke out in 2014 between John Herny and his brother, Dennis. The men were at odds over a cell phone tower Dennis wanted to put on his land. John Henry said it would ruin his view and threaten the well-being of kids at a nearby school.

Signs started popping ups in opposition to the tower.

"The neighbors are up set and we'll take it as far as we have to," Henry said.

Plans for that tower were eventually scrapped.

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