With the unanimous support of the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission, a new 57-foot monopole was approved by the California community of Vandenberg Village last Wednesday. The Santa Maria Times reports the new AT&T cell tower will be limited to 4G LTE service, quelling fears expressed by some who are wary of 5G.
The cell tower will occupy a parcel of county-owned land near the congruence of the Cabrillo athletic fields and the Burton Mesa Ecological Preserve. AT&T spokesperson, Jerry Ambrose, noted that the 4G service will fill “a significant gap” in Santa Barbara County coverage. Ambrose summarized the problem as, “Too much demand, not enough service.”
Commissioners devoted much of the meeting to the appearance of the new cell tower and came to decisions that met with the group’s approval. The tower will occupy a non-residential area that is 250 to 300 feet away from Cabrillo athletic fields’ baseball crowd. The structure will be surrounded by an 8-foot tall concrete block fence and surrounded by plantings. When questioned, AT&T said the North Board of Architectural Review had agreed to their selection of coast live oak, toyon and San Bruno coffeeberry plants.
“I think the choice of plants is excellent,” Commissioner John Parke told the Times. “They will fit right in with the Burton preserve right next-door…It’s an out-of-the-way spot. I don’t see how we could do anything better.”
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