This Thursday night, the San Diego Planning Commission will discuss how to minimize the visual impact of small cells in their city and the public’s impact on their placement. The conversation is about to get ugly, according to The Morning Call.
“While these may be on the poles, there still has to be some better design guidelines to figure out ways to make them not so obvious and not so ugly,” said Planning Commissioner Vicki Granowitz.
“They really are disgusting.” While federal regulations have made it more difficult for a community to turn away a telecom provider, there are still provisions in place that allow them to weigh in on tower aesthetics.
Commissioner James Whalen told The Morning Call: “I think they [small cells antennas] are ugly and they are ominous, and if there’s going to be a lot more they [will prove to be] a visual blight.”
Residents in the Kensington and Talmadge sections provided additional criticisms of the city’s 5G future by petitioning the planning commission to take control of antenna placement. Objections centered on unappealing visuals and lowering of property values.
The meeting will be held in City Council Chambers at 202 C street in downtown San Diego.
June 4, 2019
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