BOISE, Idaho (KBOI) -- It's no secret unsightly cell towers are controversial in any community."Cell towers are kind of a necessary evil in today's world," said Scott Spjute, zoning administrator for Boise City. "Everybody wants their cell phone but nobody wants a cell tower near them because of the way they look."
But wait!
There's a new design in cell towers trending in the City of Trees that may have people asking: is it a tree or a cell tower?
Yes!
It's both, sort of -- a Verizon cell tower camouflaged to look like a tree, the first one in Boise.
The city issues cell tower permits and wants the towers to blend in with their surroundings.
This one by the Depot Loft apartments near the Boise Depot sure does.
Ed Montosa, who lives in the apartment complex, says he was skeptical when it started going up several months ago.
"We were disappointed, you know, that they were putting one here," Montosa told KBOI News. "Then one thing led to another and there were branches. And then they topped it off and we said yeah it's doable. We liked it and it's definitely preferable to a regular tower. It doesn't interfere, and fits in with the environment around here."
Expect to see more cell phone tree towers locally. They may be new to Boise but they've been around the country since 1992.
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