Cell Tower Near Parkside Called Off

Whether the final decision actually came down to cost or the influence of the community, Eric Beeghly will not be staring at a cell phone tower near his front lawn anytime soon.

T-Mobile, which was granted approval by the Planning Commission to build a cell tower near , has opted not to move forward with the project, citing cost issues as a deterrent.

“I’m just happy it’s not getting built,” said Beeghly, who earlier this year launched a citywide protest in opposition of the proposed tower. “If the reasons were related to the activity of the neighbors, I wouldn’t expect them to say that was the case. Really, it doesn’t concern me. I’m just happy they’re not going forward with it and respecting the wishes of the community.”

The cell tower stoppage comes on the heels of a recently released San Mateo County civil grand jury report (see attached) that studied why cell phone towers incur public opposition. The latest public outcry here has certainly not been the only instance.

With more than 450 cell towers within the county, the grand jury report found that 18 out of 20 cities have faced some sort of public opposition concerning tower installation since 2006. Of those 20 cities, however, 12 have benefitted from receiving leasing revenues from cell tower applications.

The report concludes that with proper communication between local governments and their residents, public opposition to future cell tower installations could be significantly reduced.

The Maple Avenue cell tower controversy has been a prime example.

In November 2010, the Planning Commission approved the installation of the three cell phone antennas on a local utility pole. As a result, Beeghly against installation, citing harmful radio frequency emissions for families and children.

Beeghly’s main concern was his infant daughter, Elizabeth.

“The tower would have been located right in front of my house,” Beeghly said. “Frankly, I have a baby daughter and we play in the front yard every day. I just wanted to protect my family.”

On Monday, Aaron Aknin, the city's community development director, said that two T-Mobile cell towers were proposed within the city—one near , which is currently under structural review with the planning commission, and the Parkside tower.

However, Aknin said, T-Mobile, for some reason, decided to put a halt the projects, which are designed to increase cell phone reception in neighborhoods, due to cost issues.

“I really don’t know what their motivations were,” said Beeghly when asked if he thought cost was actually at the heart of the matter.

During the campaign against the tower installation, Beeghly’s online petition included more 400 signatures and prompted city government to step in on behalf of the city.

The installation of cell phone towers is a process that must go through the federal government, but not local governments. Aesthetic concerns are taken into account from the community, but actual application of the towers is over the head of City Council.

“Whatever design a cell phone provider proposes, it has to blend in with the surrounding environment,” Aknin said. “An example might be, if they’re to build a cell phone tower in a park, there may be a requirement that it be designed as a flagpole, rather than a stand alone cell phone structure.”

However, once aesthetic qualifications are met, the city has no further jurisdiction.

“We really have no control over the project other than aesthetics,” said Vice Mayor Michael Salazar. “So if we think it’s ugly, we can ban it. But based on anything else, like if there are concerns about safety or radiation, we really have no authority to deny an application.”

According to Beeghly, the City Council did its part in staying active with the proposed building of the tower, voicing the opinion of the neighborhood to T-Mobile.

“I think the city really has done an excellent job,” Beeghly said. “Their hands are really tied by federal legislation so they really could not stop it from happening. But they were extremely responsive to neighborhood concerns. They had meetings with T-Mobile and they really did what they could.”

For a list of cell tower locations throughout San Bruno, check out our map.