RENO, Nev. (AP) — The Washoe County Commission has rejected plans to build a 117-foot-tall cell tower at Lake Tahoe in Incline Village.
The Tahoe Daily Tribune reports the commission's unanimous vote Tuesday denying a special use permit for the project reversed the previous approval by the county's Board of Adjustment.
Barring a lawsuit, it effectively ends the plan to build the cell tower as it currently stands.
More than 15 local residents spoke out against construction of the 117-foot monopole disguised as a tree.
Backers say it would improve cell phone coverage and capacity on Tahoe's north shore.
Critics question whether coverage is currently lacking. They say the tower would detract from the character of the neighborhood near the center of town.