There's a grove of trees on the City Hall grounds along Tomahawk Road, between the speed limit sign and the first pedestrian crossing sign. The city's arborist puts most of those trees at about 75 feet to the high 80s, and a group of four reaches about 90 feet. He rates them in good condition, apart from one unhealthy Scotch pine he recommends removing because it gets too much shade.
At a special council meeting on September 25, 2026, city staff named that grove as a possible site for a cell tower of 130 to 150 feet. Mission Hills' tree canopy is part of why a tower that tall is under discussion, and the same trees are why the grove is a candidate site. Whatever the council decides there will also shape what becomes of the old church at 6400 State Line Road.
Why the Signal Thins Out in Lower Mission Hills
Minutes from the September 25 meeting record Mayor Andy Weed saying that consultants keep giving the same reason the tower at 63rd Street and Mission Road doesn't serve the lower part of the city: the topography and the trees. Mayor Weed also told the council that several residents have reported unsatisfactory cell service.
Mayor Weed made the case that reliable cell service is close to an essential utility. He pointed to 911 calls, estimating that 70 to 80 percent are made from cell phones, along with emergency alerts, remote work and school, telehealth and deliveries. Councilperson Sullivan said the city appears to be in a dead spot.
The question is on the table this fall because an antenna site the city inherited is losing a carrier.
The Antennas That Came With the Church
Mission Hills finished its $3.2 million purchase of First Lutheran Church at 6400 State Line Road in August 2025, as the Johnson County Post reported. The deal also included a cell tower hidden inside the church steeple. A Kansas City Star opinion column from June 18, 2026 noted that the city inherited the wireless carriers' agreements along with the building, and that one of those contracts runs through 2044.
The 2044 contract is T-Mobile's, and it is ending early. The September minutes say the city received a certified letter canceling the T-Mobile lease effective December 31, 2026. City staff later learned T-Mobile's reasons: the tower is too low for its needs, and the brick and concrete keep it from getting a satisfactory signal. The steeple stands at about 80 feet. T-Mobile still has to pay to remove its equipment, and it owes lease payments through December 31 plus a lump sum of about six months' rent.
A few days after the letter arrived, T-Mobile's regional office asked for a meeting and said it wanted to stay at this location. Its representatives asked whether the city would build a monopole of 130 to 150 feet with about 3,600 square feet at the base for equipment, which they said would support a stronger signal.
AT&T, the other carrier in the steeple, has a lease that expires August 14, 2027. The city has to tell AT&T by February 14, 2027 whether it will extend, cancel or negotiate a new arrangement. City Administrator Jennifer Lee told the council that AT&T has also shown strong interest in the location.
Three Options, Side by Side
On September 25, Mayor Weed laid out three paths for the council.
| Option 1: Keep the bell tower | Option 2: Partner-built new tower | Option 3: End all tower leases | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carriers | AT&T renews; T-Mobile's $4,100 a month ends | A tower company manages AT&T, T-Mobile and possibly others | None |
| Monthly revenue to the city | About $3,500 from AT&T, assuming the rate can be renegotiated | Roughly $1,500 to $2,000, and possibly more with added carriers | None |
| City cost | At least about $250,000 to repair the tower and enclose equipment at its base if the church comes down; the consultant's bare minimum was about $239,000 | The partner pays estimated construction costs | Demolition of the church and bell tower |
| Timeline and approvals | Tower soundness unknown until the building is removed | 9 to 18 months, with FCC, FAA, city ARB and BZA approvals | Not specified |
Option 1 carries some risk. Mayor Weed noted that nobody will know whether the bell tower is sound until the building around it is removed. He also noted that carriers share information, so AT&T might also decide the tower is inadequate once T-Mobile leaves. Councilperson Sullivan said there may be no carrier in the bell tower at all after next August.
Mayor Weed said he favors Option 2. He described it as a way to avoid construction and maintenance costs rather than a source of revenue, and he called the 130 to 150 feet T-Mobile requested a possible opening number. He suggested the city could counter with a lower height, such as 110 feet, and a limit of about three carriers.
Why the Grove Made the List
Under city code, a tower must sit 200 feet from residential property, and a second provision requires a setback equal to the tower's height. City staff applied the more restrictive of the two, and that rules out the church property. That left the City Hall grove along Tomahawk Road.
Mayor Weed described the spot as largely unused, screened by 90-foot trees and away from the soccer field. He also said it would keep the shade where people sit during concerts. Councilperson Davidson had raised that concern, and Ms. Lee answered that the site is a little south of the preferred seating area. The plan as described calls for a pad of about 60 by 60 feet with a six-foot brick wall and landscaping. Asked about views from nearby homes, Mayor Weed said he believes the trees would hide most of the tower.
The council's questions mostly concerned appearance:
- Councilperson Thorne said she had trouble picturing a 130- to 150-foot tower on a 3,600-square-foot pad. She said she understands the need for service, but that the city works hard to keep the community beautiful and the carriers should find a solution.
- Councilperson Moran supported pursuing Option 2 but asked for a clear picture of the tower's appearance, placement and size first. She also asked whether the equipment could go on a roof, and she requested an analysis of what disruption would follow if the bell tower equipment came out.
- Councilperson Sullivan asked that the enclosure be as small as possible, ideally no larger than City Hall, and built of brick with slate roof elements to match City Hall and the garage.
- Councilperson Davidson supported exploring the option but expected a large walled structure near the open field and concert area to draw objections from residents.
Ms. Lee added that city code requires utilities to run underground. She said the enclosure could be brick to match City Hall and the garage, with controlled access, and that T-Mobile needs about 15 by 20 feet inside the ground lease.
The Steeple Question Is Also the Church Site Question
The tower decision can't be made separately from plans for 6400 State Line, because the bell tower already appeared in those plans. Councilperson Thorne noted that a design concept shown to residents had kept the bell tower, and Mayor Weed replied that nobody knew about T-Mobile's departure at that point. Councilperson Sullivan said putting a tower on City Hall property gives the church site the most flexibility.
Residents' early preferences for the site point clearly in one direction. Live polling at the May 6 public sessions showed 75 percent support for green space in the morning session and 72 percent in the evening, according to the city's engagement report. "Green space definitely got the most votes," Ms. Lee told the Kansas City Star. The May 11 council minutes put deferred maintenance on the building at about $3 million and a full renovation at up to about $9 million. The Star's column cited a figure of nearly $10 million to bring it fully up to code.
In July, the council approved additional work from consultant SixTwentyOne. The scope included a refined analysis of green space and demolition both with and without a cell tower, preliminary layouts for townhomes, condominiums and single-family homes, a City Hall needs assessment and a joint master-plan review of City Hall and 6400 State Line. The congregation's lease on the building runs through February 2027.
Mission Hills Has Handled Cell Equipment Before
The tower is the city's second recent decision about wireless equipment. In a candidate questionnaire the Johnson County Post published in October 2025, Andy Weed, then a candidate for mayor, described how Ahead Engineering notified the city in early 2023 of planned small-cell installations for 5G. The city said state and federal law limited its ability to prohibit them. In his account, more than 50 residents attended the Architectural Review Board's public meeting on nine proposed sites, and the ARB later approved seven of them subject to requirements. He said that as of October 2025, no small-cell towers had been installed in Mission Hills.
Councilperson Davidson brought up that small-cell debate on September 25 when he predicted objections to a walled enclosure near the concert field. If the council pursues a partner-built tower, the September minutes say a new lease would require removing the tower within a set period if it falls out of use, similar to protections in the small-cell agreement.
The Calendar
- October 12, 2026: "Cell Tower Discussion" appeared on the council agenda under Old Business.
- October 20 and 21, 2026: The city scheduled follow-up listening sessions on 6400 State Line for these dates at Mission Hills Country Club, 5400 Mission Drive. Residents can also send feedback to [email protected], per the city's notice.
- December 31, 2026: T-Mobile's lease in the steeple ends.
- February 14, 2027: Deadline for the city to tell AT&T whether it will extend, cancel or renegotiate.
- February 2027: The congregation's lease on the church building ends.
- August 14, 2027: AT&T's current lease expires.
According to the September estimate, a new tower would take 9 to 18 months to build once approved, which runs well past T-Mobile's December 31 exit from the steeple.
If you're planning to sell a home in lower Mission Hills, or buy one, while the tower question is unsettled, the Huff Group team can walk you through what has been decided so far and help you plan around it. Book an appointment and we'll start with your street.
