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Schools

D135 Gives Communication Company Consent to Renovate Cell Tower on School Grounds

Bound by a 30-year lease approved by an old school board, work on a cell tower near Jerling Jr. High could begin in three to four months after village approval.

A more than 20-year-old agreement has forced the current to give a telecommunications company permission to make cell tower improvements on school grounds.

Board president John Carmody said that several decades ago District 135 board members gave AT&T permission to construct a cell tower near and signed a 30-year lease. The tower and the contract are currently held by Crown Castle International Corp.

Carmody said he doesn’t know why previous board members signed the 30-year contract, “but unfortunately we have to live with it.”

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The way the contract was written left the school district without “very many rights,” Assistant Superintendent for Business Services John Reiniche said.

However, along with their consent, school board members have made several conditions on Crown Castle “to ensure the safety of students and not to disrupt school operations or learning environment,” Reiniche said. Among other requirements, each one of Crown Castle’s on-site workers must pass a criminal background check, and the district remains free from liability in the event of personal injury or damage to the tower.

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Crown Castle still needs a special permit from the Village of Orland Park, following a public hearing, before tower renovation can begin. Village Development Services Director Karie Frilling estimated that the special permit process could take three to four months to complete because the tower is close to both Jerling and a residential neighborhood.

A press representative from Crown Castle could not be reached for comment.

On Aug. 8, the school board voted 5-0 on this matter after returning from a closed-door discussion. Board members Joe LaMargo and Tina Zekich were absent.

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