Learn about cell tower regulation in Montgomery County BEFORE a cell tower shows up right outside of your bedroom window.
Did you know that in Montgomery County towers can be installed between less than 30 feet and as close as zero feet from homes after a hearing process?
The setback depends on whether your building is in a residential or commercial zone. Much of the County’s multifamily housing (e.g., condo or apartment) is in residential zones, where the setback is the same as for single-family homes (30 feet, or less after a hearing). In commercial or mixed use zones, the setback was previously reduced to only 10 feet under ZTA 18-02. If you’re not sure what zone your building is in, you can look it up here.
Photo provided by a NYC resident fighting cell towers with her neighbors. New York City — A Sorcerer’s Garden of 5G Cell Towers.
Sign up for County email notifications once a new telecommunications application has been filed on-line.
Sign up to receive email notifications of wireless telecom applications County Transmission Facilities Group (TFCG) webpage.
Visit Techwise’s web page on County Cell Tower Information.
Sign the petition to reform cell tower regulation.
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Tell Congress Wireless Safety Standards Should Protect People and Wildlife. Use the 1-minute tool to send your emails now!
Vote for MoCo Council Candidates That Support Residents’ Interests in Regulating Cell Towers
Town Specific Info (Contact us for assistance)
Takoma Park: Posted 9/1/2022
MAKE SURE YOUR NEXT MAYOR WILL SUPPORT RESIDENTS’ INTERESTS IN CELL TOWER REGULATION… (Demand your city council representatives also prioritize residents’ interests). Contact candidates now.
Takoma Park: Posted 9/1/2020
Takoma Park Residents Organize for Strong Protections Against Small Cells Being Placed in Close Proximity to Homes, Schools, Child Care Centers: Many of us attended the Teach-In November 30, 2018 organized by Community Vision For Takoma (CVT) on the health, safety, and equity issues around small cell towers and related new 5G technology, and very actively advocated for strong provisions in the City’s related new ordinance to protect the public interests as rigorously as possible. We worked to help make sure the regulations to implement the new ordinance are also as strong as possible.
- Takoma Park, MD Government’s Cell Tower Ordinance Project Directory.
- Takoma Park City Council 2019 Letter to Montgomery County Council President Navarro expressing concerns regarding ZTA 19-07 (Telecommunications Towers – Limited Use) (PDF)
- Takoma Park City Council June 2021 Letter to Montgomery County Council President Tom Hucker opposing the passage of Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 19-07 (Telecommunications Towers – Limited Use) as currently drafted.
- Takoma Park Cell Tower Application Blog Posts
- WUSA9 Report: Verizon permit delayed over ‘alarming’ radio frequency predictions in Takoma Park
Maryland Take Action
Posted 2/2020
URGENT Maryland Alert: Wireless Telecom Facilities must stay under Municipal Control! OPPOSE bills that aim to strip away local authority and control!
- HB-654 Update and Status of Related Bills to Keep an Eye On (Blog Post)
- Other Blog Posts tagged: “Maryland General Assembly“
- Write to your Maryland representatives about Recovering Money Owed to Marylanders from Verizon and Other Telecoms… (See Safe Technology)
Federal Take Action
Posted 1/2023
SUPPORT GIGI SOHN FOR FCC! CALL FOR A VOTE IN FAVOR OF GIGI SOHN!
Gigi Sohn is under attack because she would be sane, on the right side of many issues from worker protection, to net neutrality, to reducing monopoly which big tech and media hate. Please see here for info, some phone numbers, & to sign a petition! The petition online for Gigi Sohn from Common Cause is also here.
Senators in these states especially need to hear from constituents: Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Montana, Colorado, Maine and West Virginia.
EFF.ORG
Visit the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s action pages here and sign some of their petitions for sane technology regulations to Congress — you don’t have to receive emails unless you check the box.
FDA LEGAL PETITION
File a comment with the FDA here to describe specific harm to you and others, including financial loss and physical harm, from wireless exposures or RFR, since more comments and specifics can strengthen the case legally.
The FCC plans to amend an old Over-The-Air-Reception-Device (OTARD) rule to allow wireless companies to place 5G transmitters on private homes in your neighborhood, with no notice, no hearing, no opportunity for you to do anything about it. The FCC is supposed to work for the people, not the wireless companies. Please call Congressman Frank Pallone at (202) 225-4671 and ask him to hold hearings on the OTARD rule and stop the FCC! UPDATE: The FCC Has Updated the O.T.A.R.D. Rule.
It’s time for the FCC to stop using taxpayer dollars to promote the interests of wireless companies and instead fulfill its mission to protect the health and safety of the American people.
Global Info
Ben Levi, Joe Sandri, Arthur Firstenberg and Julian Gresser discuss the growing problem of 5G satellites in space and what can be done. Presented by Americans for Responsible Technology. For more information, please visit 5GCrisis.com.