Fresno County Drops 45-day Moratorium on Mobilitie Rollout

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pacific-palisadesIn Southern California, Fresno County supervisors have placed a hold on cell phone towers that Mobilitie wants to build in three locations. Mobilitie proposed siting 120-foot towers in Clovis and Fresno at seven other locations along public rights-of-way.

The county’s moratorium allows officials to figure out what restrictions they can place on the structures. “The utility poles that go in the public rights-of-way are generally designed to have some give or break away,” Fresno County Deputy Planning Director Bernard Jimenez tells the Fresno Bee. “If you have a 120-foot steel tower with a 4-foot diameter and cement foundation, that’s not going to have a lot of give.”

The moratorium is for 45 days, but could extend to as long as 10 months; a county attorney says the county will meet with companies that build towers as well as other cities and agencies. Fresno limits towers to 45 feet tall. New guidelines could include prohibiting new poles in front of homes or apartments without a wall, or setting poles back from intersections and driveways to maintain sight lines for motorists.

AT&T representatives told Fresno County supervisors they oppose the moratorium. However the company isn’t involved because it generally uses cell towers on private property, a city attorney tells the Fresno Bee.   

Mobilitie generally cooperates with local governments in an effort to meet current and future wireless demand, according to a spokeswoman. “Most communities that we work with are excited to bring such technological innovation to their residents — opening new jobs and new services that support community growth,” said Colleen Williams of PR agency Merritt Group.

However, “Jurisdictions that choose to create roadblocks are doing their citizens a disservice and are ultimately deepening the digital divide,” Williams tells the Fresno Bee. “As a result, carriers will move on to build and invest elsewhere.”

A city attorney says Fresno county is not trying to block access to better wireless technology.

Local governments have primary authority to approve tower sites, according to the California Public Utilities Commission. Clovis City Attorney David Wolfe said “We don’t intend on leasing our rights away for a cell tower.”    

November 21, 2016

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