California’s Carlsbad City Council has bowed to neighborhood sentiment, refusing to allow AT&T to move ahead with its plan to install a cell tower in Poinsettia Park. Although an earlier vote had decided in favor of AT&T, an appeal filed by agitated residents caused the council to reconsider, reports The San Diego Union Tribune. Although the Council did not sustain the appeal against the cell tower, it instead declined to sign the agreement with AT&T, thereby stopping the project in its tracks.
“We feel the Planning Commission was manipulated by AT&T into believing there are no alternatives to a [cell tower] at Poinsettia Park,” noted opponent Nora George. She and other detractors focused their argument against the cell tower on grounds that AT&T had not adequately considered alternative options to the Poinsettia Park site.
Other voices were raised against phantom health concerns falsely attributed to cell towers, as well as comments that a cell tower might be “ugly.” However, recognizing that these concerns carry no legal weight, George explained that the filed argument against AT&T asserts that the telecom misrepresented findings and should adequately seek out other placement options.
An AT&T spokesperson commented that other sites were considered prior to deciding on the Poinsettia Park location. Various reasons took the other sites out of contention, noted the rep, pointing to Poinsettia Park as the best option.
City Attorney Cindie McMahon stated that information must first be presented to the Planning Commission before the City Council is allowed to vote on an appeal. The Council is only permitted to overturn a vote, she added, if it discovers that the Commission made an error, the Tribune reported.
The current situation finds Carlsbad in a gray area. AT&T’s request was approved earlier this year, the filed appeal was not granted, but the cell tower project is at a standstill because the required signatures have not been obtained. The Council directed the city manager not to sign off on any agreement with AT&T at this time, and vowed to look into its own procedural “inconsistencies” regarding cell tower approvals and practices.
Reader Interactions