LAKE COUNTY — A decision was made to deny a Jan. 10 appeal filed with the Lake County Planning Commission that would have quashed plans for a proposed cell phone tower in Middletown. A public hearing was held Wednesday during which many residents voiced their opposition to the tower.
More than 1,000 signatures were collected by opponents to stop the project, a US Cellular tower that would be located on Diamond D Ranch near Harbin Springs Road, disguised as a 64-foot tall pine tree. Opponents say electromagnetic radiation emitted from the towers poses health risks, including causing DNA and neurological damage.
A moratorium was placed on cell towers in the county by the Board of Supervisors while regulations are determined, but the moratorium does not apply in this case because the project was submitted for approval prior to the board”s decision.
An attorney with Harbin Hot Springs, a community of 250 that opposes the cell tower, has filed an appeal to the Board of Supervisors to override the planning commission”s decision allowing the cell tower. That appeal awaits a decision.
A longtime Harbin Hot Springs affiliate, Nigel Fenton of Hidden Valley Lake, who trained at Harbin in massage school, says the community is not against cell phones, “we”re against too much electromagnetic radiation.”
“After it”s built it will become an antenna farm, and every carrier that wants to come into Lake County will want to be on that tower. We need some restrictions and we need the setback requirements from residences to be further than 100 feet,” Fenton said.
Fenton attended the Wednesday hearing, and asked the Planning Commission to consider requirements that setbacks be further away from schools, hospitals and residences. “They looked at us like we were funny people running around in little green hats,” Fenton said of the reception he and fellow opponents were given at the hearing.
A 1996 Federal Communications Commission law does not allow government agencies to take into consideration health effects in the regulation of cell phone towers.
At the Wednesday meeting, there were six agenda items the planning commission took public input on, including: aesthetic impacts; setback requirements; compliance with federal radio frequency and emissions standards; the level of analysis of feasible and environmentally superior project alternatives; and measures to determine whether adequate coverage already exists in the area.
“We objected to the 100-feet setback, and asked that they build as few and limit the number of antenna. We were suggesting, ?don”t keep duplicating antenna so each company wants to come into the county.” We”re asking for a rational cell phone tower policy. We want to explain to the public that if you want reception in every part of Lake County, there”s going to be a cost to your health,” Fenton said.
Calls placed to the Planning Commission Friday were not immediately returned.
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com
