Canton Township consultants recommend ordinance changes, RFP to attract tower developers after broadband study

Consultants presented the findings of a year-long broadband study to the Canton Township Board of Trustees on Jan. 6, 2026, saying that while the township appears covered for basic cellular service, capacity shortfalls and uneven fiber deployment leave many residents with subpar Internet and spotty wireless performance.

Doug (consultant) told the board that most residential connections in Canton still rely on coax or copper lines provided by legacy providers such as Comcast/Xfinity, AT&T and WOW, while fiber is concentrated along major corridors such as Michigan Avenue and Ford Road. He said mapping showed roughly 19 macro cell sites and about 15–19 small cells in the township and that carriers are increasingly focused on capacity — not just coverage — as households use more connected devices.

The consultants and planning staff urged several policy changes. They recommended revising Canton’s wireless ordinance to expand where towers can be permitted as special land uses, make towers permitted uses on municipal property (subject to site-plan review and township approval), and add more detailed small-cell provisions aligned with state and federal law. Patrick (planning staff) said the planning commission has been drafting ordinance updates for months and posted draft packets online for public review.

To standardize and speed future deployments, consultants proposed issuing a request for proposals to identify one or more preferred tower developers. The RFP approach would allow the township to set consistent economic terms, require space on proposed structures for public-safety or municipal equipment, and give Canton more control over siting and aesthetics. The consultants warned that carriers typically build only where customer demand justifies the substantial capital cost — roughly $300,000 to $500,000 per macro cell site — and that market forces will still influence where towers ultimately go.

Board and staff discussion identified several candidate municipal parcels for further study — including Independence Park (southwest), a parcel by Lots Road near the rail crossing (southeast), Fire Station No. 4, the water-storage parcel (northeast) and a site near Ridge and Geddes/Ridge and Guide (northwest) — and emphasized that these were study candidates, not final siting decisions.

Public-safety staff told the board that dispatch and outdoor cell coverage for emergency operations are currently adequate, but building interiors can present problems; staff said in-building repeaters or targeted solutions for schools and certain facilities may be needed. Board members emphasized public outreach, environmental and health considerations raised by residents, and conflict-of-interest safeguards after a planning commissioner’s involvement with the consulting team was disclosed; the consultant said he would recuse from votes where appropriate.

Chair concluded the session by directing staff to "start working on [an] RFP with a lot of the input" presented and to continue public engagement; no formal vote approving specific tower locations was taken. The meeting adjourned after routine motions to enter and exit a brief closed session earlier in the evening and a final motion to adjourn.