LIHU‘E — More than a handful of Kilauea residents on Tuesday let the Kaua‘i Planning Commission know they don’t want an 80-foot cell phone tower next door, even if the federal government has already established that health hazards cannot be
LIHU‘E — More than a handful of Kilauea residents on Tuesday let the Kaua‘i Planning Commission know they don’t want an 80-foot cell phone tower next door, even if the federal government has already established that health hazards cannot be argued against the tower.
“Maybe I’ll have to move,” said Kilauea resident Felicia Cowden, who lives near the site proposed by AT&T to build the tower disguised as a fake pine tree.
In Planning Director Michael Dahilig’s preliminary report, he had recommended approval of AT&T’s request provided a set of conditions were met, and pending government agency comments and the outcome of Tuesday’s public hearing.
After hearing the six residents who testified against the tower next to the Kilauea Christian Academy — and taking a few more submitted written testimony — the commission voted to take Dahilig’s advice to continue the hearing on March 27.
Cowden and other area residents complained that the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 prohibits local governments to use health hazard arguments to regulate cell phone towers. But as Cowden said, she can still complain about the fact that she would see the health hazard from her house.
“I don’t want to live there anymore if they put this up,” said Cowden, who brought four letters from Kilauea residents opposed to the project.
“Our community just says no,” said Kilauea resident Lori Patch, adding that she could come up with “a thousand reasons,” but was concerned with potential cancer dangers.
If the Telecommunications Act tells local agencies to not use health as an issue, “what else can we talk about?” Patch said.
Kilauea resident Jackie Ellen, a self-professed “avid cell phone user,” said “it’s got to be about health.” Kilauea resident Deborah Winger said the same thing.
Avery Youn said his house is probably the closest one to the site where the tower is being proposed. He said there are at least five other towers nearby that could be considered for co-location.
Patch said the permitted height for structures in the North Shore is 25 feet.
AT&T says on its report that the permitted heights in agricultural districts is 50 feet, with an additional 20 feet allowed for regulated utility poles.
AT&T is asking for height-variance permit to build the tower 10 feet higher than the maximum is allowed. The company is also requesting a zoning permit and use permit.
Also on its report, AT&T says that a Kilauea Neighborhood Association meeting March 1, the majority of questions and concerns regarded potential health impacts from the facility.
AT&T ruled out some of the existing towers for co-location, citing different reasons, and dismissed an alternative site along “Kilauea Avenue” because the structure would be “very visible to commuters.”
The hearing is supposed to continue March 27.
