County OKs AM radio towers
The County Council grants a permit for four KRKO towers in the Snohomish River Valley against foes' wishes, ending six years of debate.

By Jeff Switzer and Yoshiaki Nohara
Everett Herald
May 17

Four high-powered towers for KRKO radio (1380 AM) have been approved by the Snohomish County Council for the Snohomish River flood plain.

The council approved a permit for the towers by a 4-1 vote Monday evening, ending nearly six years of study, debate and appeals over the towers.

"We fully expected this," said Jeff Massie, president of the opposition group Citizens to Preserve the Upper Snohomish River Valley.

One tower is proposed to be 350 feet tall, and three others will each be 200 feet - just slightly taller than the decorative masts on the Everett Events Center.

The opposition group said the "unmarred rural vistas of the valley will be gone" if the towers are built.

"The large antennas will be seen for miles around, looming over the farms, parks and other rural properties," they argued in county records.

KRKO, primarily a sports talk radio station, initially applied to build eight towers in 2000.

The project was halved and compromises were made to calm the aesthetic and environmental concerns of area residents, said Andy Skotdal, KRKO's president and general manager.

"It's time to move forward," Skotdal said.

The towers were twice rejected by county hearing examiners in 2002, but approved by the County Council in 2003. Officials approved the permit but required a lengthy review of the towers' visual impact.

Three years later, the result is the same.

"The way I look at it, we reaffirmed our previous decision," County Council chairman Kirke Sievers said.

The new towers would allow the radio station to expand its network and reach the entire county, Skotdal said. That will benefit emergency crews and rural schools, he said.

"The whole purpose of this project is to serve our local area better," he said.

A construction schedule for the project hasn't been set. The towers still need a shoreline development permit from the county, Skotdal said.

County officials expect the issue to end up in court, but the opponents group said it hasn't decided whether to take that step.

"Everybody is concerned about the cost," Massie said. The group of 200 already has spent $100,000 fighting the towers, he said.

KRKO is committed to finishing the project, Skotdal said.

"We are ready for any appeals to come," he said.

County Councilman Dave Somers, whose district includes the proposed towers, was the lone vote against the project.

He said the council made up new rules to approve the project.

"That's illegal," he said.

County Councilman Gary Nelson said the council weighed the need for the towers against their appearance.

"We as a county need an AM station for the main purposes of emergency management," Nelson said.

full story at:
http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/06/05/17/100loc_b1towers001.cfm