History of Lookout Mountain Antenna Tower Land

Potential Problems Now Towering Over Buffalo Bill

Proliferation of Antenna Towers on Lookout Mountain
Rocky Mountain News (8/29/1982)

Lookout Mountain resident since 1942, and former operator of the Cody Inn, A.B. Jackson, estimates 100
towers and microwave dishes in his community. Rick Woodsome, JeffCo communications director, says the
proliferation of antenna towers on Lookout were “both a blessing and a curse because it at least concentrates
all the towers in one place instead of along all the mountain range” and “the county has no control on what’s
erected on Lookout Mountain. Anyone who owns or leases land there can operate communications equipment
if they have a valid broadcast license.” Woodsome’s county commissioner employers apparently did not know
that in 1972, the Colorado State Legislature strengthened the 1955 power for counties to control land use.

Jefferson County Political Culture

Lookout Mountain residents assumed it is safe for the FCC and
JeffCo to allow the antennas to operate in their residential
community. But home values on historic residential plats near the
antennas began to plummet with proliferation of antennas and
microwaves by the early 1980s. The first publicized battle was over
the proposed KDVR-TV tower on Cedar Lake Road. Jefferson County
Commissioners Bunny Clement, Martin, and Tomsic denied the first
application to rezone 5 acres of residential lots MR-1 to Ag-1 “special
use” on July 26, 1982.

Commissioners then approved a revised application presented by

Lookout Mountain attorney Lael DeMuth on Dec. 20. The revisions included a $99 per year “rental fee” for
JeffCo to use the tower, with responsibility of maintenance allocated to the tower owner.Then, in 1983, the
Commissioners Bunny Clement, Ferdinandsen, and Stanbro approved building the KHIH-FM tower and building
on half of one acre east of the Buffalo Bill Museum.

The RF industry and Jefferson County consistently ignored the FCC requirement for comprehensive
Environmental Impact Studies of towers adjacent to historical sites (1984, 1990, & 1998) and the FCC does
not enforce it.

After the Lorraine Lodge ( Boettcher Mansion) was
listed with National Registry of Historic Places on
January 18, 1984, JeffCo approved an application to
increase the KRMA-TV / KCFR-KUVO-FM tower (adjacent
to the Mansion) in October, 1984. The 1969 National