Collier County commissioners voted unanimously to approve a new cell tower meant to fix years of spotty phone service in Golden Gate Estates, clearing a major hurdle for a project that still needs several more approvals before anyone can start digging. The tower is planned near Vanderbilt Beach Road and 10th Avenue Northeast, standing 145 feet tall and designed to blend in as a pine tree, a style known in the industry as a monopine.
The vote, confirmed by WINK News, comes after Golden Gate Estates residents have complained for years about poor reception that makes it hard to stay connected at home or on the road. Verizon is expected to be the first carrier to use the new tower, which has room for three additional carriers, though none have confirmed plans to join so far, according to the same report.
A Long-Awaited Fix for Dead Zones
For residents like Pedro Azamar, who has lived in Golden Gate Estates for two years, the unreliable service is a daily frustration. He has struggled to hold phone conversations both in his car and while shopping at Publix, the outlet reported. The station's report notes that no members of the public spoke either for or against the tower at the hearing, suggesting the project drew little organized opposition.
Golden Gate Estates has long dealt with cellular reception so unreliable that it can interfere with basic phone calls and GPS directions. The outlet's earlier reporting on a related tower proposal cited Verizon research describing current LTE coverage in the area as unreliable, and quoted one resident saying, “trying to sit in my house and talk to someone is not happening most of the times.” County officials have said improved coverage could also make it easier for residents to reach 911 in an emergency.
What Comes Next Before Construction Begins
Even with unanimous approval in hand, the project still has a long road ahead. It must go through the site development plan process and secure remaining approvals and permits before any construction can start, per the same account. The developer expects to break ground roughly six to seven months after Tuesday's approval hearing, and the county will require a cost estimate during the next phase of review.
No public money is allocated to the project, the county has said, and the tower's total cost is not yet available. The funding and construction timeline remain open questions until that next approval phase produces firmer numbers.
Conflicting Details on Tower's Exact Specs
Notably, the tower approved Tuesday differs in some details from an earlier project WINK News described in previous coverage. That earlier report described a planned tower standing 140 feet tall at the dead end of 43rd Avenue Northeast in East Collier County, while Tuesday's coverage describes a 145-foot tower near Vanderbilt Beach Road and 10th Avenue Northeast. It is not clear from available reporting whether these reflect the same project revised over time or two separate proposals.
Disguised towers are not new to the area. A separate monopine tower near Green Boulevard and Collier Boulevard, standing 147 feet tall, was approved by the Collier County Board of Commissioners in 2021 to improve service in Golden Gate, and neighbors later reported improved service after it went up, according to WINK's earlier reporting. Another proposal, a 150-foot monopole with a 5-foot lightning rod along Weber Boulevard between 1st Avenue NW and 3rd Avenue NW next to an existing FPL substation, was separately detailed by Gulfcoast News Now.
WINK News reported experiencing poor cell service firsthand while visiting the planned tower area on a recent Tuesday, and said the crew had to drive elsewhere just to get an internet connection after mapping apps failed to load. For many in Golden Gate Estates, that kind of frustration is exactly why the new tower's approval, even with construction still months away, counts as a win worth celebrating.
