SPANISH FORT, Ala. — Improved cell phone service in Spanish Fort inched closer to reality Monday night when the Planning Commission recommended site plan approval for a proposed telecommunications tower on the site of the former WLVV radio station at 1263 Battleship Parkway.

Cell tower developer Lester Boihem, owner of Two-Way Communications Co., wants to construct a 150-foot cell tower on the site that already includes a building and two AM antennas, but the commission delayed making a site plan recommendation until the City Council decided one week ago between Boihem’s plan and an alternative site 800 feet away at the former Ramada Inn behind R&R Seafood on the Causeway.

Boihem plans to construct a tower with the capacity to handle five carriers with as many as 12 antennas each, and he has commitments from three carriers to date. AT&T has already requested to locate at 120 feet; Verizon Wireless has selected 140 feet; and Cellular South has no interest in exceeding 90 feet. If T-Mobile joins the mix, Boihem said the carrier has already expressed interest in the 150-foot mark.

Building Official Bruce Renkert said the site plan, which has been reviewed several times since the head-to-head competition began months ago, has been updated to address every issue the commission raised. Renkert said the primary concern was that the area beneath the platform be enclosed, eliminating the need for chain link or any other material that would encourage unauthorized access to the structure.

“As far as I’m concerned, they’re good to go,” Renkert said.

“Now hurry,” District 5 Councilwoman Mary Brabner quipped to Boihem, following unanimous support for a plan that has been discussed intermittently for more than three years.

Meanwhile, the commission postponed taking action on a proposed 18-lot, waterfront residential development amid protests from neighbors questioning environmental implications and disregard for historical significance.

The development, known as River Pointe, is intended to create waterfront access just west of Spanish Fort Estates on Blakeley River Road. The commission postponed taking action on the item until the October meeting giving developers time to state definitively to whom responsibility for maintenance of portions of a road fall and also allowing for more research to be gathered regarding the proposal’s impact on wetlands.

Engineer David Diehl, who represented common owners MCD LLC, CWB LLC and SLH LLC, told the commission the roads will not be the responsibility of the city under any cicuumstances.

“I’m not sure where it stands, but it will not be the responsibility of the city,” Diehl said.

Malinda Williford, one of four citizens who spoke against the development during the meeting, said her independent research reveals neither the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service nor the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has any record of the development, and she is concerned that the development will destroy both wetlands and historic Native American shell mounds, known as midden mounds, along the property.

Williford, who lives in nearby Cedar Point, rallied neighbors unaware of the development to attend Monday’s meeting by knocking on doors and inviting them to attend.

“There is no question this is going to destroy wetlands, and I don’t know why that would even be considered,” Williford said by phone prior to Monday’s meeting.

Planning Commissioner Kevin Diamond quizzed Diehl repeatedly for more concrete details regarding the proposed development, and Diehl said that aside from noting the 53-acre site would be divided into three- to four-acre lots he was unprepared to offer more detailed information for a subdivision plat approval because such items are typically not requested until the site plan phase.

Diamond said such information is “very important” at this phase of the project, however, because lack of such details prohibits the commission from making an informed decision.

In other business the commission:

An informal work session will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 28 in the conference room at City Hall.

The next regular meeting of the Planning Commission will be held at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Spanish Fort United Methodist Church Prodisee Center, immediately following a 6 p.m. work session.