The Palo Alto, CA, City Council approved a proposal from the Palo Alto Little League to allow a replacement of a 60-foot cellular-enhanced light pole by a community field. However, a group of residents weren’t ready to play ball.
Not individually identified, the residents sued under the names Clear Light Ventures Inc. and Parents & Neighbors Against Little League Cell Tower. They cited potential health hazards and neighborhood character disruption as reasons for their suit, according to San Jose Mercury News. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Socrates Peter Manoukian sided with Verizon and the Little League, and ruled to allow the replacement cellular-enhanced light pole, which adds 5-feet to the original pole.
Manoukian felt that city officials were correct in that “the antenna would serve the community by improving cell phone coverage in south Palo Alto while preserving the neighborhood’s character as much as possible,” according to San Jose Mercury News. Four light poles already stand on the field, and Verizon plans to conceal the extra antenna in cylinders.
Verizon claimed more than 15,000 residents in a two-square-mile area surrounding the field have spotty cell coverage. The Little League’s website says that Verizon would pay the nonprofit organization $24,000 the first year and add an extra three percent each subsequent year. The initial agreement is for five years, with renewal options every five years up to 25 years. The Little League plans on using part of the money to “offset increases to players’ registration fees.”
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