Talk of rejuvenating an old cell tower site in San Clemente, CA, has some neighbors in an uproar. The site in question has been out of service for many years, but as KCAL-TV notes, two separate carriers have expressed interest in building new cell towers. The most recent meeting of the San Clemente City Council was reportedly besieged by nearby homeowners who were upset by the possibility of the abandoned cell tower site springing back to life.
“Personally, for me, it’s health and safety. I have three young kids,” stated neighbor and opponent, Courtney Morrow. “This was done with no notification to the community, no community input. It was done behind closed doors and it was improper.”
Since the fenced area hosting the defunct microwave tower has been inactive for a long time, Morrow and others say they bought property thinking that cell tower concerns were a non-issue. With some residents living as close as 150 feet away from the site, residents are suddenly worried about DISH Network or another carrier moving into their backyards. These fears have prompted the HOA to declare its intention to sue the City of San Clemente to stop cell tower plans from advancing further.
Speaking on behalf of the Homeowners Association, HOA President Bert Levesque clarified that the aim of the group was not to put an end to the cell tower project, but to make sure it is being addressed through the correct channels with appropriate notifications to the community. “We’re not going to like it,” he commented, “But at least it’s been done properly.”
For its part, San Clemente officials will need to decide which path to follow. According to KCAL-TV, the Council has three options. The Council could revoke or modify the existing applications. On the flip side, it could allow the applications to go ahead and exempt them from California Environmental Equality Act regulations, thereby bypassing rules designed to study and minimize health risks. As a third option, the Council could retool the application process and include safety conditions that the applicant would have to meet in order to build new cell tower facilities at that site.
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