TUESDAY Nov. 19, 2019 HEARING: ACT NOW to Stop County Approval of Cell Towers in Front Yards

In order to speak, you need to sign up to make a 3-minute comment Nov. 19, Tuesday, at the County Council hearing on County Councilmember Hans Riemer’s proposal — Zoning Text Amendment 19-07. Also, contact County Councilmembers directly  — see links to all below — to share your concerns.

ZTA 19-07 would make it easier to line residential streets with cell towers on street poles in our public rights-of-way — as close as 30 feet from our front doors.

What’s the problem?

• Serious Potential Public-Health Risk: From Scientific American last month–We Have No Reason to Believe 5G Is Safe (Joel M. Moscowitz, UC Berkeley). It links to a recent call from hundreds of scientists and doctors for a moratorium on 5G deployment.
• Corporate Welfare, Compliments of Taxpayers:  Corporations prefer to place cell towers in public rights-of-way since they can use our land at cost rather than negotiate a rate with a private property owner: It’s a much more profitable business model.
• Other 5G issues:  Sponsors of ZTA 19-07 repeat industry’s hype about the positive potential of 5G. What about its negative potential? In addition to health concerns, predictions include: A new world of 24/7 corporate and government surveillance and control, further diversion from face-to-face relationships with people and nature, harm to trees, and a big increase in energy use to power the new connected devices. Remember the wonders of lead, asbestos, tobacco, CFCs, and fossil fuels? Let’s critically evaluate this new technology before we dive in — not be sorry later.

Tell our County Council ::: Our Health & Safety Is Not Negotiable!

Speak Up — or just show up, with or without a sign — at Tuesday’s County Hearing: Anyone can sign up — you’ll be placed on a wait list, but we hear folks on the wait list generally get to speak. And just your attendance — with a handmade sign, if you like — will be powerful!

Hans Riemer (At Large) is the lead sponsor of this proposed Ordinance. The 2 co-sponsors are Craig Rice (District 2), and Gabe Albornoz (At Large).

We need 5 of the 9-member Council to oppose it to stop it. Help us reach the whole Council, but especially Evan Glass and Will Jawando, who are also At Large reps for the entire County, as well as Tom Hucker, our own District 5 rep.  And urge County Executive Marc Elrich to strongly oppose it too.