The cell phone tower argument continues in Ocean Pines, where the years-long disagreement pits objections to a tower’s sore-thumb appearance against its function as a vital component of a stable and dependable means of communication.

So far, concerns about esthetics have carried the day, as tower opponents contend that such a structure would pierce the otherwise natural landscape in which they have invested. They further contend that this investment might be lessened by the negative effect a tower would have on their property values.

The latter, however, is a maybe, since the influence a tower would have on a property’s worth would diminish in proportion to the distance between the two.

Still, the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors has to consider the future. Odds are that landline service won’t be available to Ocean Pines residents in 10 years or so, as providers shift away from hard-wired systems to wireless. That could mean a consumer switch to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) — phone calls can go out wherever the caller can connect to the Internet — or cellular service, which is more expensive but provides greater mobility for the user.

Cell service would seem to have the advantage in Ocean Pines, given the mobile nature of its many part-time residents and association members. That makes the need for reliable cell phone communications paramount, not just as a matter of convenience, but for reasons of safety. Being able to connect to 911 in times of emergency shouldn’t be a possibility, it should be a guarantee.

That’s why the board of directors and the administration  have been exploring cell service solutions. But, as board members have said, that doesn’t mean they have plans to build anything. For now, they are looking to see what might be done.

Considering the community’s erratic cell service, the board would be abrogating its responsibilities were it to do anything less.