CALEDONIA TWP. — Cell phone reception for people in the Hubbard Lake area will improve in the near future with the lease of land to Verizon Wireless for a new cell phone tower, according Caledonia Township Supervisor Ken Hubbard.

Earlier this month the township finalized a lease with the company for an 80 acre township-owned parcel. The plan is to erect a more than 300 foot cell phone tower the land is off Bennett Road near just a few miles from Hubbard Lake.

Hubbard said, however, residents may have to wait through the winter for the new tower being installed by Pyramid Network Services to be fully operational in the township.

“I have heard different things that they want to put it up still this winter before the weather sets in,” he said. “But they also have to go through things like archaeology studies. I think that is under way.”

Hubbard said the township was approached about a year ago on the new tower and officials have been working on the lease negotiations since that time.

He said the parcel is around 1,000 feet above sea level and in a cleared out area that has a gas well and will take little to put up the tower because not many trees will have to be cleared.

“I think the real determining factor was that the area is so high and it certainly didn’t hurt to have it already cleared,” he said.

Hubbard said the tower should greatly increase cell coverage for residents, tourists and even emergency first responders who use cell phones in a lot of situations.

“Another thing is our business watch can’t get a phone signal at night when they’re out patrolling,” he said.

He said the tower also would be beneficial in situations where there is an emergency on Hubbard Lake. Hubbard said there have been situations in the past where boaters in distress could not get any cell phone signal at different parts of the lake, and had to make it to shore before making a call.

As far as cell phone coverage now, Hubbard said there are only a few carriers that can be used in the area and coverage is spotty at best.

Hubbard said there are not many cell towers in the area. He said the nearest one he knows of is west of Hubbard Lake near US-23.

Most in the community have voiced support for the tower, though Hubbard said at a recent meeting there were a few people upset about the structure.

“They were upset about it because it breaks up the horizon looking at the forest across the lake,” he said. “It blocks a view but most people spoke in favor of it.”

Jason Ogden can be reached via email at jogden@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5693. Follow Jason on Twitter @jo_alpenanews. Read his blog, Sunny side up, with Jason at www.thealpenanews.com.