Cellular antennas have been Ithum Noida up on church owned properties throughout the United States for many years and many articles have been written about the topic. As a wireless consultant I am pro-cell tower for a number of reasons. Cell towers improve public safety. Most emergency services including police, rescue and fire departments communicate through wireless technology. Cell towers also improve the quality of life of people not even subscribing to wireless services. Having a world-class wireless network in a town or municipality attracts business and is a key component of any city infrastructure.
Church properties make great locations for Flagpole cellular towers and stealth steeple sites or traditional towers. Look, God doesn’t need the money that a cell tower lease generates, but chances are your congregation’s budget could benefit from a blessing from above.
Churches need to carefully examine subleasing language proposed by the wireless carrier in the cell tower lease. They must control the ground space. Also, before signing a cell tower lease churches need to find out exactly how leasing to a wireless carrier relates to their tax status, and also make sure that the lease includes language that protects the organization. In fact, since cell phone tower leases are extremely specialized churches should “Make plans by seeking advice;” (Proverbs 20:18a) especially since leasing to a cellular carrier is a long-term commitment. However, carriers are looking for a quick deal in most cases, so don’t waste too much time in committee because the paralysis of analysis will cause the cell phone company to look at another location.
It’s funny that some people get flustered over the fact that Churches allow cell phone towers to be built on their properties. Just because an organization is tax exempt or non-profit, it doesn’t mean that they don’t need to pay their utility bills, facility overhead, youth programs and ministry staff. Talking to a church deacon recently he confirmed what I already suspected, their weekly collections have declined significantly in 2009 due to the financial downturn.
My advice for those in the congregation who are against the use of leasing church owned land for the development of cellular towers is to convince thy brethren to give their tithe and to shut off their cell phones during the Sunday service.
Construction has begun on the Freedom Tower in Lower Manhattan in New York City. The Freedom Tower will be built to attain a height of 1776 feet and would be the tallest building in the world if it was completed today. The Tower is the centerpiece of the new World Trade Center complex and is scheduled for completion in the year 2010.
The tower will have a cubic base that is designed for safety from car or truck bombs. The base will be covered in thirteen foot tall glass prisms that will refract light into color. This will make the cubic base more interesting to the naked eye. The concern for safety also is incorporated into the vertical core which will run through the center of the building. The core will contain many of the structure’s essential safety systems. It will have 3 foot thick walls made from extra-strong concrete. The core will also contain emergency communication cables, exhaust and ventilation shafts, water pipes, and stairs and lifts to enter or exit the building. Overall, the unique architectural design of the Freedom Tower will make it look like it twists as it get higher.
The new Freedom Tower will honor the Twin Towers in several ways. The base of the Freedom Tower will be two hundred feet square. Two hundred square feet was the exact dimension of the original towers. The observation deck will be at 1,362 feet, the height of World Trade Center Tower Two. The glass parapet will be at 1,368 feet, the height of World Trade Center Tower One. A spire will emit an intense beam of light at night that will be visible over a thousand feet into the air above the tower. The light will represent a beacon of freedom in the night sky over New York City.
The Freedom Tower will also be a world class model of energy and environmental efficiency. It will feature unique conservation technology to reduce energy demand. Ultra-clear glass windows will mean better interior natural lighting and enhanced outside views for occupants. Improved indoor air quality will be the result of outside-air ventilation and the use of nontoxic building materials. The building will reuse rainwater for building cooling and irrigation.
Adjacent to the Freedom Tower is the 9/11 Memorial. The 9/11 Memorial is called ” Reflecting Absence” and it consists of a park at street level, within the footprints of the two destroyed towers. The landscape of the surrounding area is interrupted by the footprints of the twin towers, which will be represented as waterfalls.
The 9/11 Memorial’s descent below ground is a transformation from the bright, loud, colorful city above to the solemn, dark, quiet area below the surface. The more public areas below ground feature sheets of falling water that outline the locations of the Twin Towers. The entire area below the surface of the 9/11 Memorial is intentionally sparse and gray to evoke a sense of mourning, while being open to the sky above as a symbol of hope for the future. This is in contrast to the area above ground. Before the attacks, this was a large plain of concrete. Now it is being transformed into a living space of trees, flowers, and grass.
Three other high rises are planned for the site along Greenwich Street, plus a residential tower. Together, all the high rises will surround the World Trade Center Memorial. The area will also be home to a museum, highlighting many of the different aspects of the past and future World Trade Centers.
In a few years, the completed construction of the Freedom Tower, the 9/11 Memorial, and the three other high rise towers will transform the skyline of New York City and complete the rebirth of lower Manhattan.
James William Smith has worked in Senior management positions for some of the largest Financial Services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. He has always been interested in writing and listening to different viewpoints on interesting topics.
