Sedona’s City Council will review and consider a Wireless Communications Master Plan during an upcoming meeting in an effort to mitigate the impacts of cell phone towers and base stations, by giving wireless companies an incentive to follow city imposed guidelines on where infrastructure is built and what it will look like. The city also hired a consulting firm, CityScape, to assess the need for towers, according to a letter to the editor of The Sedona Eye, to proactively plan for wireless infrastructure.
The city contends the purpose of its Wireless Master Plan is to “protect the unique natural beauty and small-town character of Sedona…promote the health, safety and general welfare of the public and minimize the impacts of wireless communications facilities.”Since the federal law prohibits the city from banning the installation of towers, the plan’s goal is to protect Sedona’s neighborhood views, especially since it’s predicted that more demand for wireless connectivity will be necessary for the future.
During the engagement with CityScape, the number of current towers was under review and the total varied. According to a count by Red Rock News in November 2017, the city had 22 towers, but CityScape found an additional 17 to 25 towers of varying size. Conversely, the database of “FCC Registered Antenna Towers in Sedona, AZ” contains 44 towers (note: not all towers must be registered). Additionally, many towers registered with the FCC are not recognized by CityScape.
CityScape is recommending that twice as many wireless infrastructure sites are required, due to a decision that Sedona is an Urban Density area, although the City Council argues that Sedona is categorized as a Rural Density area. With this, there are concerns that there will be negative impacts on health, safety, and welfare; property values; and, Sedona’s spectacular natural beauty if the infrastructure is doubled.
The next step in the process is for the City Council to review and discuss the Wireless Communications Master Plan this week.
December 12, 2017
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