Ohio cell towers camouflaged to blend in with surroundings

July 22, 2017 at 11:45 p.m. | Updated July 22, 2017 at 11:43 p.m.

by Associated Press

In this July 19, 2017 photo, a cellphone tower that resembles a pine tree can be seen along northbound I-475 Road near Maumee, Ohio. Two looming cell towers in Toledo suburb are now sprouting faux branches to make them look like pine trees and blend in with their surroundings.
In this July 19, 2017 photo, a cellphone tower that resembles a pine tree can be seen along northbound I-475 Road near Maumee, Ohio. Two looming cell towers in Toledo suburb are now sprouting faux branches to make them look like pine trees and blend in with their surroundings.

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Photo by Arkansas Online

STAFF PHOTO ANTHONY REYES Macie Kultgen, Prairie Grove senior, drives around Brylee Brasher of Claremore on Jan. 2 during the Siloam Springs Holiday Invitational in Siloam Springs.

TOLEDO, Ohio - Efforts to turn two looming cell towers in Ohio into faux pine trees to help them blend in with their surroundings are getting mixed reviews from residents.

The Blade reports some residents in Springfield Township have derisively dubbed the towers "frankenpines."

Adding branches to the towers in the Toledo suburb wasn't purely an aesthetic decision. It's a zoning requirement for cell towers erected in Springfield Township residential districts.

Springfield Township zoning officer Jacob Barnes likes the look and told The Blade that he expects residents do as well.

A resident of a nearby subdivision who opposed construction of the 120-foot structure from the start says he remains concerned about potential health risks from living near a cell tower. Another resident says he's just happy to have better cellphone service.

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