Last updated April 12, 2019
The search is continuing to find a suitable location in which to place a new cell phone tower within the Rattlesnake Valley in Missoula, with Bob Kelley, the representative for Verizon Wireless, saying that he thinks it will probably be several more months before a real possibility is found.
“It’s not something that’s going to be in the near term,” Kelley admits. “I think we’re looking at a window of several months as we explore additional alternatives. As you know, the search for a site dates back years, so it’s not something that’s going to happen overnight.”
Verizon has been in the process of testing a number of sites in the area in order to try to improve the service they can give to their customers. However, earlier in 2012 its plan to cut a road over Waterworks Hill for a brand new tower was revealed and caused a great deal of opposition in the neighborhood. The firm has not yet completely abandoned that possibility though and still has an agreement with the owner of the property. Mount Jumbo is also another possible location that is under consideration, but Kelley says that all potential sites are still very much under review.
“There’s a lot of questions that need to be answered before you can say this site would be a legitimate contender,” Kelley points out. He does however admit that the original proposal, which continues to meet heavy community resistance, is still a strong possibility.