San Mateo is moving forward with new rules governing the installation of small cells after resident pushback over the increasing number of structures.
Small cells are antennas added to telecommunications equipment to support 5G technology, and a local volunteer-led group, No Cell Outs, has made continuous pleas to the city to intervene in its ramped-up presence, as the installation has been particularly prolific over the past year. Members say having them so close to their homes, in some cases 10 feet to 25 feet from bedrooms, poses health risks due to radiation from higher radio frequencies. They’ve also expressed frustration with the city’s most active telecommunications firm Crown Castle, which has landed in hot water with the city over 19 operational sites that had not gotten final approval from the city. The city had also issued a stop-work order based on previous work performed by Crown Castle, which caused utility damage.
In May, the council supported efforts to draft a new ordinance that would impose more stringent guidelines and design standards. During an Oct. 23 Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission, commissioners voiced support for the proposed changes, which will be reviewed and finalized at a future City Council meeting.
Small cell configuration regulations are mostly dictated at the federal level, leaving local jurisdictions with a narrow range of acceptable changes.
With the proposed new policies, the city will designate certain restricted areas, which will mandate setbacks of small cells anywhere within 300 feet of a housing unit, day care facility or school structure. The antenna heights would have a minimum 18-foot height requirement and cannot be at the same elevation of a building window, depending on the distance from the small cell structure. Annual reports detailing full compliance with regulations would have to be submitted by the telecommunications firms every year, and preferred small cell locations would be reclassified.
The proposed policy partially mirrors Encinitas, which has also imposed more requirements for telecommunications firms.
Several residents, including those from No Cell Outs, vocalized support for the changes, though Yvonne Pinto, spokesperson from Verizon Wireless, said it would hinder the firm’s installation abilities and could result in greater coverage gaps.
“The city’s small cell draft policy would introduce a number of locations that are prohibited, including residential zones and right-of-ways,” she said, which would put much of San Mateo “off limits and present regulatory challenges.” Pinto said the policy “improperly places city officials, unfortunately, in the role of a federal judge.”
San Mateo resident Irena Mavridis countered that the city is well within its rights.
“These are the same boilerplate arguments that Verizon raises anytime a city seeks to exercise its permitting authority. The draft policy is very similar to Encinitas’ policy,” she said, adding that the Southern California jurisdiction hasn’t received any legal challenges. “Verizon’s insistence that the exception process is illegal is absurd. Virtually all cities have a process where certain areas are off limits, unless federal or state law forces the city to allow installations there.”
The commission unanimously supported the proposed ordinance.
(1) comment
Great news!! Many thanks to all who worked on and supported this decision.
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