AT&T proposes to replace three of the existing panel antennas with three new Long Term Evolution (LTE) antennas at an existing communication tower located on Mason Butte in Kootenai County, Idaho. Three remote radio head (RRH) units will be added to the tower at roughly the same elevation as the antennas. Telco equipment within the equipment room will be upgraded. Significant ground disturbance is not anticipated.
The property is largely undeveloped timberland except for two telecommunication (telco) tower facilities, owned by American Tower Corporation (ATC) and AT&T Mobility – on the southeast portion of the property. Immediately to the east of these two facilities are two additional communications tower facilities that are situated on separate parcels of approximately 0.25 acres each. According to preliminary construction drawings, the AT&T Mobility facility consists of a lattice tower and an associated equipment compound covering approximately 1,000 square feet. The compound includes a 100-square-foot equipment shelter and is enclosed by chain-link fencing. The lattice tower is approximately 63.2 feet tall, and a whip antenna at the top reaches a height of 67.2 feet. In addition to the whip antenna, there are 12 panel antennas collocated at the top of the tower and centered at the 60-foot level. Two microwave (dish) antennas are centered at the 56.5- and 52-foot levels.
No cultural material was observed during the pedestrian survey or the subsurface investigations for the proposed ID07 Plummer Communication Tower Project Area, and no properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places are located within 0.5 mi (0.8 km) in the direct or visual Area of Potential Effect of the proposed communication tower. The project will result in No Historic Properties Effected. No further archaeological investigations are recommended prior to execution of this project.
Location: Kootenai County, Idaho
