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. Control.cell tower siting Rural residents deserve protection ~ he cellular telephone industry It's impossible to insulate any propel. ~ is one of the fastest-growing in ty from electronic signals. But it's .~. history -- seemingly overnight, reasonable for property owners to ex. ,t0 percent of the population has cell pect that cell phone towers Will be phones. These phories won't work sited to minimize the strength of sig. without a network of towers to re- nals in nearby homes~ ceive and transmi't signals. The towers State Sen, Rick Metzger, D- .are sprouting in rural areas to fill Welches, has sponsored Senate Bm gaps in coverage. Lane County's land- alS, which would allow local govern- use rules need to catch up with this ments to establish setback requ/re- fast-spreading phenomenon, ments for cell towers. The bill is : The Telecommunications Act of stuck in committee, and its prospects 1996 prevents local governments from an' receding. But lJane County banning 'cell towers, .but the act .netdn't wait for the Legislature to · shoukl not be read as allowing the define the scope of its authority. Otb- ' towers to be built anywhere and er- er local governments across the coun- erywhere. The law allows govern- trlr have already taken stel~, within merits to regulate the general place- the limits of the Telecommunications ment, construction and modification Act, to prei~ent .il~tpproprlate cen tow- o_f the towers. _The county should ute er siting. : .~.:: ..... 'i. ~' . ." :~,. ' . ~es,~-P~e~'~n~i~g~.-ctt-°~-0f suggested by County Gomm~ioner ~map_p~r. op. riatel~[ sited towers. .... -, ...... - ...... Cindy Weeldreyer,'ls a requirement The threat to prouert~ ..Y~.-_u~s~is that cell phone companies "co-locate" r e~phonitl~ no setback requirements, their towers -- that is, put their're- e companies can build towers ceiving and transmitting gear 0n the nearly on top of property lines. An same mast rather than buildln~ thre~ .a~.'cle in last week's Register.-(~,:uard[or four..Cg-locati.0n may not be. prac~!~ czted the case ora woma,~:,.~.~.'calin:.a]!;.....hmtan~.",'.but.:it &aild:~p. tl~ house on 8eavey Loop near Lane C0m,'~.s~an~. a .~. ].~'.red ~uce' the 'pi'011ferat/on: of' munity COllege' would be literally'/n towers/ii [4n-al areas. · the shadow of a 125-foot cell tower on ' ' ' Cell phone, towers.may be a tempo- a neighboring piece of property. The 'rary feature .of thi~ lanitscape tower would clearly detract from the intermediate' step to satellite tele. rural atmosphere that attracted her to phone communication For now, how- the Seavey Loop area. ': ' ever, the towers are becoming ubiqul- In addition to aesthetic obJedi°ns, tous, and they are especially notable some people living near cell k,wers /n rural areas where they can't be are .concerned about the health effects hidden on bu/ldings or other struc. of cell phone signals. These effects are tures. The cellular telephone tndustrF unproven, but the concerns can't sim- is rushing to create a network of tow- ply be d/smissed.-- pegple are being ers providing blanket coverage. The made to assume a risk, however small rush should not preclude siting that It may be, that did not exist before, respects propert~ owners' interests. ¢ IV-lO7