Small Indiana Town Sued For Rejecting Proposed Cell Tower

ZANESVILLE, Ind. (AP) — A company hired by Verizon to fix a gap in cellphone service in northeast Indiana is suing a small town that rejected its plan to build a cell tower.

Florida-based Skyway Towers LLC wants a small piece of land nestled up against batting cages and a children's play area in Zanesville — about 20 miles southwest of Fort Wayne —  to be zoned for agricultural use so it can build the tower. The Journal Gazette reports Skyway Towers filed a lawsuit on April 20 over the site about 20 miles southwest of Fort Wayne.

Town Council President John Schuhmacher says the lawsuit feels like a big corporation trying to muscle a small town into doing what it wants. He says a petition circulated throughout the community with 600 residents drew an overwhelmingly strong response opposing the project.