Working plans are now underway for the construction of seven new cell towers in the east central Colorado municipality of Snowmass Village.
The towers, measuring between 36 and 70 feet in height, will go up at various locations on the north and south side of the village, and should see construction between 2024 and 2025.
Residents and public officials in the mountain village of just over 3,000 people have expressed concerns over uneven coverage, particularly when it comes to transmitting emergency calls.
In all, nine cell tower proposals were made to the Snowmass Town Council, with two rejected due to the structures not being adequately camouflaged. Those final two proposals may be re-introduced before the council once the design for them shows they are more adequately hidden.
In comments delivered before the council, Mak Keeling, vice president of mountain planning and development for the Aspen Skiing Company, which manages the Aspen/Snowmass resort complex, remarked that the ultimate purpose of the new towers is to “assist with emergency services, whether they’re with patrol, whether they’re with mountain rescue, whether they’re with ambulances and the hospitals.”
It was earlier noted that the towers would prove particularly helpful in allowing injured or lost skiers a means for communicating with first responders.
According to town documents, construction of the new towers is being viewed as not only vital to increasing and improving coverage, but also to “bolster Snowmass Village as a world class tourist destination.”
With an economy largely based on skiing, Snowmass Village in recent years has enjoyed a condominium and luxury home building boom. According to the site Realtor.com, the average Snowmass Village home price in October was around $3.2 million.
By Garry Boulard