Finally, a tower for Hadley.
Vic Martin, Lapeer County Central Dispatch Director, said by 2013 the residents of Hadley Hills should have stable 9-1-1 service after a deal with the Village of Metamora was reached to construct a 450-foot tower on donated property.
‘We had to go considerably higher with the tower to get the reception we needed,? said Martin. ‘It will end up costing taxpayers more, but the plan will work.?
Martin said that communication problems have plagued Hadley, Metamora and Almont. To fix this problem, four towers are planned for the southern section of Lapeer County, including the Brocker Road area. Of concern is the use of mutual aid with other communities. The new towers will be a major plus for several areas of Lapeer County, he said.
‘The Village of Metamora still owns the property near the water treatment plant and the county will lease the land from them,? he said. ‘Due to the height of the tower we had to jump through a few more hoops. The FFA needed to get involved in establishing the tower.?
Martin has been seeking a tower location in the southern areas of Lapeer County to rectify coverage issues with regards to 9-1-1. After members of the Christ Lutheran Church rejected a proposal last month by the Lapeer County 9-1-1 to construct the 250-foot tower on a section of church cemetery near Hadley and Fox Lake roads, Martin continued the search and appealed to the state to utilize a tract of land near the same site to no avail.
‘We’ve had several residents come forward and want to sell or lease their property to the county, but it was very costly. At the same time, the county also reached agreements with Columbiaville, Almont and are very close to a deal with North Branch.?