Public concerns raised over burial ground as TRC conditionally approves MacBayou cell-tower replacement

The Walton County technical review committee voted to conditionally approve a cell-tower replacement application, but the discussion included public concerns that the site sits on an Indian burial ground and questions about whether public notice and site history were adequately documented.

Staff recommended conditional approval for MIN25-000137, a minor development order filed by Clark for the Muskegon Nation of Florida to replace a cell tower on roughly 0.147 acres in a coastal center zone. Staff and engineering reviewers listed outstanding comments that the applicant was working to address.

Applicant representative Will Dunaway told the committee he had received and would upload information to the portal immediately after the meeting, including an updated survey and delivery details for the pole. "I did just receive the information that addresses these particular small minor points, and they will be uploaded to the portal as soon as I walk out here," Dunaway said.

During public comment, Tabitha Howard objected to the application’s presence on the land and questioned whether the site had been properly advertised in past reviews. "That shouldn't even be in this land because it's on a burial ground," Howard said, adding she could not find records of the original advertising she expected.

Telecommunications professional Warren Whitaker, who said he worked in the field for more than 40 years and helped wire the original site in 2005, told the committee that removing the tower would not necessarily cut off service to the hospital or nearby residents. "That's not necessarily true," Whitaker said in response to a claim that hospital service would be lost if the tower went down, and he described potential alternate sites and temporary solutions.

Committee members emphasized they must rely on signed, sealed documentation and said they would review any opposition material submitted in the same professional form. The committee moved to conditionally approve the application pending resubmittal addressing outstanding engineering comments and confirmation that review issues were resolved.

The committee’s approval was conditioned on addressing outstanding items and on agency reviews; the transcript records approval to move forward pending those conditions.