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Cell tower moratorium vote tonight
The Eureka City Council will vote tonight on a 45-day moratorium on wireless communication facilities in the city. The vote comes after protests over a planned tower for Apostolic Faith Church, and the failure to notify neighbors of the plan.
The moratorium won’t stop the church tower, but will give the city time to craft an ordinance that will withstand scrutiny by the cell phone industry’s army of lobbyists.
The meeting starts at 6:30.
Meanwhile, it looks like the Apostolic Church neighbors are getting ready to sue.
UPDATE from the Times-Standard (11/19/08): No cell tower moratorium
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The Humboldt Herald 
Word has it that the Eureka Planning Commission, most particularly Chet Albin and Michael Egan (and minus Ron Kuhnel and Pam Service), have hard-ons for steamrollering through more residential cell towers where-ever they may be wanted by big wireless companies in Eureka. T-Mobile has recently indicated that it wants into Eureka, with two more towers possibly in residential neighborhoods, before any moratorium is enacted. As always, Tom McMurray is their hired gun. Watch tonight, as the Posse of Three (Mike Jones, Polly Endert and Jeff Leonard), who all cried crocodile tears about their inability to stop the tower planned for the church on Harris and D, find reasons to now oppose a moratorium that they voted to support at the Sept. 16th meeting.
These Planning Commission guys are clueless to the extent of grassroots community opposition there is to residential cell towers in Eureka. Did they see or even hear about the City Council meeting a month ago (9/16), when about twenty homeowners rose to condemn them, for legitimate reasons? They’re walking into a hornet’s nest and they’d better watch out!!!
These Planning Commisioners should be ashamed of their claim to be representing their communities on their board. What a mockery!
Anybody have any idea how much these cell phone companies pay landowners for use of their property?
No one should be crying tears about the Henderson Center Cell Tower. It was brought before the Planning Commission on July 14, 2008 and before the City Council on September 16, 2008. Both meetings were publicly noticed and the agendas for the meetings were posted online.
Yes, the City of Eureka did notice the local residents. I live in the area that was noticed. Had the rest of the neighborhood actually looked at the mail they would have seen something was going on.
I am all for a moratorium on new cell towers, until such time as a reasonable ordinance can be developed that permits public input and provides competition between providers. The City of Eureka has to start balancing progress with quality of community life. If we are ever going to grow the local economy, to include dollars that are from outside the area, then we are going to have to stop just recycling local dollars.
As a homeowner who took the time to sit down with the pastor of the church, look at the plans and have a discussion, rather then a mob attack. I am comfortable with the cell tower being put into place and am looking forward to seeing what should be a very attractive addition to the neighborhood.
If the Planning Commissioner that Average Eurekan is talking about is the same Mike Eagan that used to work for Caltrans (I think it is), then we should all be concerned. Try and get a straight answer on anything out of that guy! Take his answer and turn it 180 degrees and you’ll be closer to the truth. I seriously doubt that we want him involved in community decisions. In my experience, he doesn’t have the capability to place the community’s needs above his own goals. It’s all about Mike.
I have no problem with cell phone towers as I use a cell phone.
I use cell phones too, from my house, in my car parked now, walking, standing, breathing, thinking, etc…
However, I do not agree with the placement and location of cell towers in my neighborhood, or any single or mixed use residential neighborhood, etc…
Further, does the overall height of the tower exceed residential codes enacted by the city? If so, a categorical exemption does not exist and a negative declaration can’t be made without “proper protocol of the process that even many other current elected officials hail, but really intend to fail on a decision by decision process”.
Jeffrey Lytle
McKinleyville – 5th District
Mr. Scott,
You weren’t the only homeowner to sit down with the pastor and have a calm discussion about the tower. To characterize those of us who also did, but came to different conclusions than you did about his and his board’s responsiveness, as a “mob attack,” shows bias and incredible insensitivity on your part.
You also speak from ignorance about the noticing, or lack thereof, by the city of Eureka. Out of 63 homeowners who were supposed to have been noticed by the city, 51 were personally contacted by the Henderson Center Concerned Neighbors organization – our neighborhood group (where where you, by the way?). Of these 51 property owners, only 14 confirmed that they had received notices from the city in July, and 32 signed legal declarations saying they had not.
We were there, en masse, at the Sept. 16th meeting – why are you trying to imply otherwise?
I would appreciate if you would try to stick to the facts, rather than presenting your biased opinion as “fact.”
Any idea whether the moratorium would apply to the current Verizon project?
This is a good situation where the precautionary principle should be applied – that is, if there is a perception of possible harm yet it’s scientifically unknown at this time, people should err on the side of caution.
Also, this whole phenomena with churches erecting cell towers to generate extra money is sweeping the country as a whole, and Verizon appears to be the main pusher.
forget post 3:42, it’s in the article
Mr. Scott: I own a house within the block on D St. and was not notified. And yes, we do read our mail. Just thought I would let you know.
Henderson Center is zoned residential-commercial, Mr. Lytle. Do some research.
The item was fairly noticed by the Planning Commission, which is where everyone should have started screaming in the first place.
The Henderson Center Concerned Neighbors Organization lost all my support when they decided to picket a church during Sunday services. I don’t have a problem with the Friday picketing. I have no tolerance for any type of harassment during Sunday worship.
Yes, I am biased, as is everyone else that is affected by the cell tower.
I am glad you read your mail. Now get involved in the city government, there are open positions on almost every City Board or Commission that deals with these issues. Start being proactive and not reactive.
Nope, I wasn’t at the Sept. 16 meeting, because I am bothered by the cell tower.
I wasn’t at the neighborhood meetings, because the asian (now I will be a racist) lady handing out flyers took the one she gave me back when I started asking questions.
If everyone is so concerned about health and safety, then why are that reacting to the fact that Norman’s Dry Cleaners is responsible for ground water contamination that runs the down Grotto Street under their houses? The monitoring wells are on Grotto and Williams Street. The equipment that is being used to “clean up” the mess was installed in the alley between D and Williams. No notice went out on that being installed.
Four people showed up at the meeting with the owner of Norman’s and the Water Quality Control Board, and notice were sent out along with a notice in the newspaper.
The chemicals identified in the study are cancer causing, and are probably having a bigger impact on your property values then a cell tower. Eureka’s on little Love Canal.
If the citizens are so concerned, they need to also start looking at the other issues facing Henderson Center that pose risks to their health.
Protesting the proposed cell tower at the church during Sunday worship must have seemed rude to those church members who selfishly approve of the revenue that will be generated by the proposed tower on church property. Surely those who may be adversely affected by the proposed cell towers should have been more considerate and protested on Friday when no one would be there. Sunday is the Holy day set aside for worship. What day do they count the church’s revenue?
I’ve always wondered why neither of the local papers picked up the stories, so at least the neighbors could have read it in the paper. Looking through meeting agendas ahead of time and going to meetings is usually standard fare for reporters. The agendas often have important stories in them. Two papers asleep at the wheel ? Or did readers miss the story?
The lawsuit will maintain the neighbors weren’t notified, yet the city maintains it sent out 80-something notices. Which is true?
Typical bogus brushoff. If the city properly notified neighbors, this wouldn’t be an issue.
Josephescott, who looks suspiciously Apostolic, claims to have had a little chat with the vicar which made him look forward to “seeing what should be a very attractive addition to the neighborhood.” Attractive? Really: perhaps he could share this revelation with us. Photoshop and PowerPoint might help.
He goes on to call those who criticize the construction of a tower a “mob,” and to fault them for protesting on Sunday, when the people they’re trying to reach might actually be present.
He then tries to lead the hounds to a fainter scent — that of Norman’s Dry Cleaners. He might just as well point us toward the high crimes and misdemeanors of George W. Bush.
“Yes, I am biased, as is everyone else …”
Finally, the artful apostle defends his stratagem, by denouncing everyone. Mea culpa.
Predictable response tonight from Mike Jones and Polly Endert, those stalwart representatives of Keeping Things the Way They’ve Always Been. Polly and Mike, as I predicted, both found ways to reverse themselves 180 degrees from their performances at the mid-Sept. council meeting, refusing to put a 45-day moratorium on cell tower approval in Eureka.
Polly, you represent where Eureka has come from, not where it is going. I won’t miss you up there.
Ditto to Mike. Possibly the single most pompous guy in all of Humboldt County. I question whether he could now get re-elected, if he wasn’t already termed-out in 2010.
josephescott Says:
November 18, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Henderson Center is zoned residential-commercial, Mr. Lytle. Do some research.
HENCHMAN OF JUSTICE” Says:
November 18, 2008 at 3:00 pm
However, I do not agree with the placement and location of cell towers in my neighborhood, or any single or mixed use residential neighborhood, etc…
Concluding Response of unnecessary research mandated:
“…….or any single or mixed use residential neighborhood, etc…” = residential-commercial included as a combination of usage that includes residential, for clarification.
Jeffrey Lytle
McKinleyville – 5th District
DO CHURCHES PAY PROPERTY TAXES? IF SO, WILL THEY PAY FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD’S INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS INCREASED BY ACTIVITY OF MAINTENANCE CREWS FOR CELL TOWER OPERATION? IF NOT, WILL VERIZON PAY YEARLY SERVICE FEES FOR IMPACTS ON THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD?
Jeffrey Lytle
McKinleyville – 5th District
How much activity do you really think they do? There isn’t that much activity once it is up and running.
Mike Jones was his usual “aw shucks” bumpkin self last night, and Polly Endert showed us why she did not get elected to retain her seat. What a piece of work those two are.
As usual Jones showed he is in the pockets of certain people. Someone should check his front porch this morning and see if the case of scotch is there.
How sad for Eureka citizens.
Polly lost the election partly because she took the pastor’s letter and read it as her own. Last night she flipped off her constituents. Jones is such a tool, he went completely over the top kissing McMurray’s ass. Tyson was so proud!
What about the EMF emmited from grow-ops. You can hear it on the AM radio as you drive around town.
DO CHURCHES PAY EARNED INCOME TAXES ON THE INCOME IT RECEIVES FROM VERIZON?
Jeffrey Lytle
McKinleyville – 5th District
Do the neighbors get a royalty check from the church for the impacts to the neighborhood that Verizon will create?
Cell Towers is a precedential issue. Afterall, third party communications towers in a residentially zoned neighborhood is a somewhat “NEWER” concept. Verizon is simply taking advantage of this Cash Cow process before necessary restrictions are put into place by elected officials. This issue is a regulatory issue of immense proportions. When you study real-estate laws, it is well defined that mixed use zoning is actaully bad because it causes public and private nuisance – like Cell Towers.
If opinions based on money were isolated, we really will see the majority of people against Cell Towers in their neighborhoods. However, if every property owner in that neighborhood received a royalty check every month for as long as Verizon exists in that neighborhood, I really wonder how many property owners would take the money and flip-flop on their ideologies?
P.S. the sad part is that now every property owner’s property is now less value because of the uncertainty regarding health issues. So, to sell your home, you must now disclose that your house may be unfit to live in for some members of society – problem is, you can’t decipher WHO CAN and WHO CAN’T live in the house you are trying to sell, go figure. Elected Officials currently are a joke, period.
Jeffrey Lytle
McKinleyville – 5th District