Montgomery County Council Debates Small Cells In Bethesda

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The city of Bethesda, MD’s county council recently held a public hearing regarding changing zoning laws in the city for wireless companies who want to mount small antennas.

At the hearing, wireless providers presented their side of the story and answered questions from residents regarding radiation concerns, the new approval process, where small cells would be installed, possible property value diminution and if that many towers were actually necessary. One resident asked about installing fiber optic as an alternative and prohibiting where the antennas and poles would be located regarding distance to homes.

Bethesda Magazine reported that the amendment being considered would “remove the requirement that companies applying to install the small antennas go through the county’s court-like hearing examiner process for each application.” Small antennas can be anywhere from two to five feet tall, with that process being waived for poles that are fewer than 30 feet in height. Bethesda Magazine stated that the existing ordinance requires hearing examiner approval for every pole.  

Council President Nancy Floreen said at the meeting that the county has received more than 100 small antenna applications from Crown Castle alone.

Dan Collins, an expert in radio frequency analysis, was at the meeting to talk about RF concerns. Bethesda Magazine reported that Collins said “small antennas use a fairly low amount of electricity and emit radio frequency amounts that are 30 to 50 times below the maximum allowed by the FCC. Amounts are also less than the routine level of radio frequency emissions in most homes and offices with plugged-in electronics and appliances.”

The change will be voted on at a later date, but if approved, applications still would have to go through the county’s tower commission along with being permitted via the department of permitting services. Additionally, they would be subject to a review by the department of transportation regarding poles in rights-of-way areas.

Gaithersburg resident Aaron Rosenzweig told council members they should push telecom companies to instead invest in fiber optic cable internet networks and prohibit all antennas within 200 feet of any home.

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