Vote on T-Mobile Towers at LVMWD Postponed

The Planning Commission on Thursday pushed back its decision to grant T-Mobile a permit to build a pair of cell phone towers at Adamsville Road to Aug. 5 following an increase in public concern.

The which owns the site for the proposed towers, will decide in two weeks whether it will grant a lease to T-Mobile.

If the lease is denied the commission's decision will be a moot point, said Chairman John Mueller.

Several of the about 50 local residents in attendance during the meeting voiced objections toward the construction of the six ground-mounted equipment cabinets and two 32-foot tall towers, citing noise and radio frequency emissions.

However, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations do not allow the board to make a decision based on radio frequency emissions.

"The public is very concerned about the long term effect attributed to wireless transmissions," said Jonathan Kramer, an engineer consultant on the project. "But because of the way congress created federal law our authority is extremely limited to seeing if the project will comply with FCC rules."

Kramer found that the radio frequency emissions are compliant with the FCC regulations.

The city's regulation require that the facilities like T-Mobile's mix of cell phone towers and cabinets blend in with the environment, screened from public view and that the height be consistent with the surrounding structures.

Still some residents maintained that the Planning Commission could go against FCC regulations.

"You say you are forced to comply with FCC guidelines, yes but you are not puppets," said resident Steve Bratt. "All over this country planning commissions are refusing to grant cell tower construction and courts are starting to uphold that denial process."

Resident Liat Samouhi said her backyard is 60.8 feet from the proposed site and that she thinks there other locations that would be ideal for cell phone towers.

"We are not necessarily against any technology but to have this so close to my backyard and community is of great concern to us," Samouhi said. "We encourage you to please consider an alternative site."

Some people asked that T-Mobile produce an environmental impact report. But Clark Harris, development manager for T-Mobile in the Los Angeles area, said such a report was not drafted because the city's guidelines did not require one.

"There is some degree of environment review," Harris said. "It makes sense to build it there because the water tank is a public utility and we are a public utility."

T-mobile attempted to build the facility at a water tank on Dardenne Street, but was unable to because the site was about to undergo a construction upgrade that would take five years, Harris said.

"It's a tough emotional conversation and we have to go back and look at true scientific data," Harris said. "Science shows that (the emission rates) are safe and user friendly."

Kinsey Markar said there haven't been any long-term studies to know of the effects radio frequency emissions.

"Don't wait 30 years to fix the problem, fix the problem before it even begins," Markar said.

Some residents offered alternative sites or suggestions which Mueller said he welcomed and ask the public to forward any information to the board at least a week before the Aug. 5 meeting where it would make a decision.