Dozens of River Heights residents are trying to stop a cellphone tower from being erected near their homes on Niagara Street.

Last month, residents received letters about plans to build an 18-metre-tall cellphone tower at a commercial property at 413 Niagara St.

A group of neighbours met again Monday night to come up with a plan to stop the proposed MTS tower.

"It's going to be three times the building that's there now. It's a residential property. No one around here could possibly do something like that. We can't even have a fence that's over 6½ feet," said Kelly Larkins, who lives next door to where the tower would be built. "We're not against cell towers. Cell reception is important. Everybody knows that. We're just against it being plunked feet from homes."

He's also worried about how close the structure will be to his home. He said it would be only a few feet from where his son sleeps.

The City of Winnipeg's antenna systems policy indicates "preferred locations" for new antenna systems are in areas that maximize the distance from residences.

Proposed towers "should be a minimum of the prescribed distance from residential areas," the policy says. The prescribed distance is three times the height of the tower.

"If MTS can do this to us, it sets precedent they can do this to every neighbourhood in Winnipeg," said Abigail Mickelthwate, who lives near where the tower will be built.

So far, the group has collected 400 signatures on a petition, and they're encouraging people in the area to attend an upcoming MTS open house to voice their concerns.

The open house is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the River Heights site of the Corydon Community Centre (1370 Grosvenor Ave.).

The circle on this map shows the homes closest to a proposed MTS cell tower. The map was part of information packages sent to 19 families by Evolve Surface Strategies on behalf of MTS.

Tower follows every bylaw, policy and process, MTS says

The proposal being put forward does not go against the city's antenna systems policy, MTS spokesperson Jeremy Sawatzky said.

MTS has followed every bylaw, policy and process required to have this tower approved, including pre-consultation with the city and with the public, he said.

"The policy has preferred and discouraged locations but in no way prohibits the construction of an antenna supporting structure in residential neighbourhoods or at this particular location," Sawatzky said.

MTS representatives will be at the open house to answer questions.