VENICE, Calif. -- New Life Full Gospel Church planned to increase monthly revenue by leasing space in its church steeple to a cellular phone company. The proposed cellular tower, though, has neighbors fearing the project will diminish property values, according to The Argonaut.
New Life pastor J. Robin Batislong signed a five-year lease with Cingular Wireless in April that was to bring the church $825 a month. The church's residential neighbors complained at a City of Los Angeles Office of Zoning Administration public hearing May 9. Residents claim the tower will look too commercial for the neighborhood.
Cingular Wireless spokesperson Richard Gomes told The Argonaut it would work closely with community planning groups on the tower's aesthetics. The cellular tower would be concealed by the church steeple and out of view of most passers-by, he said.
Batislong is trying to back out of the lease, he told the newspaper.
"There is outrage in the community over the matter," he said. "It is not good to be preaching the gospel in a climate where our neighbors are mad at us. We had no idea that the community would be outraged. Cingular told us there were no problems with residents."
Gomes said Cingular was negotiating the contract with the church.
