Tuesday, April 21, 2026 |
Photo – Saratoga Town Hall – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Town of Saratoga must wait for a historical review before a new communications tower can be built.
Last November, Saratoga officials began negotiating with Mountain West Technologies to install equipment on the new communications tower at Town Hall. At the time, Mayor Chuck Davis said he was told the existing tower is decades old, possibly as much as 70 years, and not suitable to support the planned upgrades. Mayor Davis said Mountain West representatives cautioned that the tower may be vulnerable to collapse.
Mountain West Technologies refused to use the existing communications tower and offered to split the cost of a new tower with the town. At the December 3rd Saratoga Town Council meeting, Mountain West Technologies Chief of Operations Lesha Thorvaldson said the company will build the structure if the town agrees to pay for the materials.
On December 17th, the Saratoga Town Council agreed to the construction of a $38,856.89 tower, with the town paying $24,496.89 and Mountain West Technologies covering the remaining $14,360 in labor costs. Roughly $17,000 of the town’s portion will be covered by an unspent State Homeland Security Program grant.
During the April 15th Town Council meeting, Councilman Jerry Fluty asked for an update on the project. Police Chief John Moore announced that, due to the age of the tower, the State Homeland Security Program requires a historic‑site review to ensure the new antenna will not affect the character of the surrounding area.
State Homeland Security Program funds are administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. All projects must comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires federal agencies to account for any effects a project may have on historic properties.
Mayor Davis said he is waiting for a state representative to take soil samples from the site. The results must be reviewed and cleared by the federal government before construction of the new communications tower can begin.
