Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 3.3 SupplementalRECEIVED Planning Director SEP 0 12008 Planning Commission Town of Los Altos Hills TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS August 30, 2008 Cc: Mayor and all Town Council Members Subject: Application by A T & T for a wireless telecommunications facility at 26410 Duval Way Dear Ms. Pedro, I am writing once again on behalf of the residents of Duval Way to plead with the Planning Commission and the Town Council to reject an application for yet another "cell" tower on Duval Way! Let me begin with a brief history of our lack of success at having any influence whatsoever on the Towns approval of previous cell towers/antennas affecting the environment of, and potentially, the value of our homes, property and continued defacement of a historical building (pictures to be provided). • Beginning in 2001 we protested the expansion of use of a large, ugly tower, which had been erected in 1993 with, apparently no permits of any kind on the campus of Foothill College. We followed up with Santa Clara County, the Trustees of the Foothill/ De Anza College Board, The State of California through Chancellor Harris's office and determined that local municipalities were the permitting authority for any permits of construction. We lost. • Next, we protested the installation of antennas in the steeple of the church at 26410 Duval Way. We lost. • In spite of the Towns assurances that approval of the steeple antenna would not set a precedence for future antennas on the site and that "Duval Way has enough", an application for another antenna (a very bulky flagpole which, irregularly flies a flag) was approved on the church property closest to Duval Way. We opposed that application. Acain• We lost • We were again assured that the flagpole would be the last. Now we are faced with the new, subject application by A T & T for a 65 -foot tall fake tree carrying six antennae near the comer of Duval Way and Robleda Rd. In addition, the A T & T drawings indicate the provision for "future carrier antennas". It appears that unless something more formal is done, the Town's assurances have little or no value. Should we resort to legal action to gain the Town's attention? Consider the following: *The church is a Town Historical feature. A 65 -foot fake tree on such a small cul de sac is a major addition to the current eye sore beside this Church facing Duval Way. This site affects every neighbor. We will bring pictures to show the council if the hearing is rescheduled and we have the needed time to process the pictures. *No one resides on the property so the parishioners are essentially unaffected. *While the church presumably receives income from each of the antenna companies, it is a tax-exempt organization (as is Foothill College) so who benefits? Finally, Notice of the public hearing by the Planning Commission, dated August 22nd was received by residents on Duval Way on the 251° or 260' of August, advising us of a meeting date of September 4, 2008, giving us a little more than a week to prepare. This, for a project which has been underway since at least the beginning of April 2009, according to drawings supplied to residents by A T & T. Our first request, therefore, is that Agenda Item 3.3 of the Planning Commission Public Hearing of September 4 be rescheduled to a later date to allow the residents of Duval Way time to review the implications of the application, our possible options and to prepare presentation(s) for the Commission and Councils consideration. Respectfully, Al & Mary Jackson (et al) Fritz & Cathy Mueller Los Altos Hills RECEIVED Planning Commission, Town of Los Altos Hills TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS 9/1/06 Dear Members of the Planning Commission: We are writing to urge the Planning Commission to reject the site development permit for the proposed cell phone antenna at 26410 Duval Way. Our reason for objecting to this permit is that Duval Way already has 4 cell phone antenna installed on 3 poles. The close proximity of all these antenna to our property is detrimental to property values. It is an accepted fact that everyone wants cell phone coverage from their house but we would contend that nobody wants to live next to the maximum number of antenna possible. In the rase of Duval Way, we are unfairly burdened by these antennas. The following points summarize my reasons: • The residents of Duval Way don't benefit from more antenna, we already have 4 other cellular services to choose from and don't need a fifth next to our house. • Anyone within range of Duval Way also has the same 4 cellular services to choose from. • We learned at a recent planning commission meeting that once an antenna is installed H remains FOREVER and there is nothing the residents or town can do unless the phone company wants to remove the antenna. This was the position presented by the town staff. This means that any decision made on this issue must be considered as permanent, not subject to the time limits of the permit • This antenna is intended for the benefit of the phone company first and foremost. If the residents interests were important then the phone company would accept moving the antenna to another location that might be less optimal but still provides coverage without further burdening Duval Way. • The church site is a single lot surrounded by residential lots. It is being turned into an industrial facility that I don't think is consistent with its surroundings. Unfortunately this is not a win-win situation. The first one or two antennas in our neighborhood could be considered win-win because the phone companies got the location they wanted and the residents got excellent cell phone coverage from their home. Now that we are looking at a fifth and possibly sixth antenna (the AT&T proposal has a provision for an additional carrier) it has become a win - lose scenario. You are being asked to choose between fellow residents and the phone company and I urge you to side with the residents and ask the phone company to find a different location away from Duval Way. If you would not want to live in a house surround by five or six antenna then we ask that you not force that on us. Fr`�dz & C� Mue