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Supervisors Keep NextG’s Cell-Tower Proposal on Hold
After months of public outcry against a plan by cell phone carrier NextG to install antenna sites at several sites in Montecito, the issue was back before the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors again Tuesday.
The Federal Communications Commission has a rule that electromagnetic frequency emissions shouldn’t be considered a health risk, but that issue and the aesthetic impacts of the antenna — even on existing utility poles — were concerns raised again and again by the Montecito Association and other members of the community.
One of the more controversial of the antenna assemblies had the potential to be installed near the Montecito Union School. The Montecito Planning Commission denied the cell phone antenna, and NextG, which doesn’t have coverage in the Montecito area, appealed the decision to the Board of Supervisors.
County staff, which had studied the project in detail, recommended that the board support the appeal.
In the end, the board directed the staff to look further into the actual antenna sites — specifically, aesthetic issues and cell phone coverage — and report back to the board at an unspecified date.
Megan Lowry, a staff member presenting the project, said NextG had fully examined alternative sites where residents objected to antenna placement.
From the outset of Tuesday’s hearing, board members — who had received a large volume of correspondence from community members voicing opposition to NextG’s antennae — approached the project skeptically.
“They’re no longer little whip antennas,” said First District Supervisor Salud Carbajal, whose district includes Montecito. NextG has 11 antennae in Montecito, all mounted on utility poles.
The Montecito Association — represented by an attorney from Price, Postel & Parma — and more than 30 Montecito residents offered an overwhelmingly negative response regarding the project during Tuesday’s public comment period.
“We’re really asking all of you to preserve the beauty and character of our little village,” said Montecito resident and 1977 world surfing champion Shaun Tomson, adding that antenna already placed near his house have cluttered the view from his window and could lower property values by as much as 35 percent — in his case, $700,000.
Aside from concerns about the impact on the area’s aesthetics and property values, some said allowing NextG’s proposal would open the floodgate for other companies wishing to do the same.
“You can be sure that other utilities are watching this very closely,” Montecito resident Sandy Lejeune said.
NextG’s representative said the company has newer, more compact technology that allows multiple communication utilities to use the same antenna. Each location would include a 26-inch antenna and a 3-foot-tall utility box, mounted at least 9 feet off the ground to discourage tampering.
— Noozhawk staff writer Ben Preston can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Comments
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» on 03.17.10 @ 07:07 AM
And the Luddites are at it again. This is not about esthetics. That is a cover story used by people who fear that the practically immeasurable radiation from the cell towers is somehow harmful, in spite of research world-wide indicating otherwise. And our Supervisors don’t have the cojones to lay down the law. Join the 21st century folks.
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» on 03.18.10 @ 06:09 AM
There is an attitude shift that is required for us all to maintain and improve our “quality of life”.
That is a “given” that we can all agree on.
But my next comment will upset the usual “quality of lifers”.
It is a fact that if electricity was just invented this last week that hundreds and thousands of people would object to telephone poles being installed that transport electricity to each individual home.
“Telephone poles will obstruct our views!” they would say.
“Telephone poles will lower our property values!” they would say.
“Telephone poles are not what we want!” they would say.
And if the elected representatives are as spineless and “Politically Correct” as most of our current batch is…we would have no or spotty electricity available in our community.
Think about it citizens.
Mark King
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