SPANISH FORT, Ala. — With the start of hurricane season barely one month away, the Planning Commission is giving substantial consideration to a backup plan for construction of a proposed Causeway cell tower on an alternative site from one approved nine months ago.

Tower developer Lester Boihem, owner of Two-Way Communications Co. in Orange Beach, is pitching the alternative site on the north side of Battleship Parkway between Oysterella’s and R&R Seafood should Buddy Tucker Association Inc. face problems with almost identical plans at 1263 Battleship Parkway, the site of the former WLVV radio station.

In October, the City Council followed the commission’s original recommendation and rezoned the radio station site T-1, clearing the way for construction of a 150-foot cell tower with the capacity to hold as many as five carriers. Boihem, who submitted the original site plan on behalf of anticipated property owner Archangel Radio, learned within weeks of gaining council approval that Buddy Tucker Association Inc. purchased the property instead and owner Theodore D. “Buddy” Tucker opted not to retain Two-Way’s services.

City leaders have stated repeatedly they have no intentions of allowing the construction of more than one cell tower. They have, however, been receptive to Boihem pitching the alternative site in the event Tucker’s plans fail to materialize.

Building Official Bruce Renkert said a site plan for the radio station property appears to be in order—including Army Corps of Engineer and Alabama Department of Environmental Management approval—but tower developer Mike Johnson of Johnson Communications in Summerdale has not produced commitments from any carriers.

“(Johnson) hasn’t come up with that crucial link in a ton of months,” Renkert said during Monday’s informal commission work session.

Should the commission vote during its regularly scheduled May meeting to grant Boihem—who has four carriers committed to his tower proposal—the rezoning request required to erect the tower on the alternative site, Johnson’s site plan request could be unilaterally denied.

“If (Johnson) shows up tomorrow with a signed (carrier) contract, it’s his, but without that missing link, the site plan is incomplete,” Renkert said.

Johnson, who provided detailed site plans for each of the commissioners, was not present during the work session.

Boihem, who was present during the work session, shared renderings for his proposed tower that he says he can have erected within 45 to 60 days of approval and offered commissioners coverage maps indicating anticipated cell phone service based on commitments from CellularSouth, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.

“The tower is already built and paid for,” Boihem said, noting the only real difference between this and his original proposal for the radio station property is an issue of aesthetics. He has designed the alternative site to look like a fish camp from the road.

Commissioner J.R. Smith said without the carrier commitments and subsequent coverage maps Johnson’s site plan materials are incomplete as submitted and could not even be considered during the next meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Planning Commission will be held at 6:30 p.m. May 10, following a 6 p.m. work session at the Gathering Place in the Prodisee Center.