T-Mobile Towers Q & A: Linda Stock

A local agency could reconsider its agreement on Tuesday with T-Mobile to build two cell phone towers on its property.

The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District Board of Directors approved the agreement at its June 22 meeting to allow the cell phone company to build two three-story cell towers, along with six ground-mounted cabinets, next to a district-owned water tank at 3370 Adamsville Rd.

Local resident Linda Stock, who lives near the proposed cell phone tower site, said the ground cabinets would emit high noise levels, among other concerns.

Though a review of T-Mobile's proposed project was conducted by a city engineer who found the project met standards established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Stock and her neighbors hired their own audiologist to conduct their own study.

Stock will bring up the results from the study at tomorrow's meeting.

If the board sticks to its original decision to approve the agreement, the Planning Commission will have the final say on whether the cell towers could be built.

Stock recently spoke with Patch and explained why she is opposed to T-Mobile's efforts.

Calabasas Patch: Why are you and your neighbors opposed to the proposed T-Mobile cell phone towers and ground-mounted cabinets?

Stock: We are opposed to the towers because they're going to be situated approximately 50 feet from the closest neighbor. There are several reasons why we're opposed. For one, this site is definitely not the least intrusive site. There are many, many other sites that could be in the area that could be used that are not specifically in our backyards. ... This will also have a terrible effect on our property values in the area and T-Mobile doesn't even have a significant gap in coverage, this isn't really needed.

Patch: There are other cell phone towers in Calabasas that are up and running. Have you stood by or driven any of them to examine how much noise the emit?

Stock: I have not stood next to one of these cell towers to hear the humming sounds. All I know is what has been reported by the audiologist that we've hired. I don't have another cell tower within 50 feet of me … All I know is they emit a constant humming sound and we have a report from an audiologist that indicates that.

Patch: So what did the audiologist find?

Stock: Our sound engineer came on July 1 and measured the ambience noise level at a home that's quite near to the water tank and the noise level was 40.9 decibels. So therefore the T-Mobile noise level that they claim, now they claim 50 decibels, it might be louder than that, is enough to create an annoying hum during the day, and at night if the residents open their windows at night it will be even worse.

Patch: How many of your neighbors are opposed to the towers?

Stock: All of the neighbors that we've contacted, we have 36 neighbors within our development, but many, many more that are in adjacent neighborhoods that are opposed. We had many people show up at a previous hearing and hopefully many people will show up for the meeting at the water district.

Patch: You said there are other less intrusive locations for this project. Do you have any areas in mind?

Stock: That is being reported by another member of our opposition. If you'd like to come to the hearing at the water board tomorrow then you'll hear all about it.

Patch: If the lease agreement is approved and the project is approved, would you consider taking any legal action?

Stock: We are going to if such occurs, we will appeal and we'll take whatever steps are necessary.

Look for a piece tomorrow morning on what Jeff Reinhardt, LVMWD public affairs and communications manager, has to say about the T-Mobile project.