On Wednesday, the Costa Mesa City Council voted 6-1 to adopt changes to small cell guidelines, despite protests by residents, reported the Daily Pilot. The council first began its small cell design discussions in the spring of 2018 and gathered this week to vote on guidelines that are more amenable to residents while meeting federal requirements.
Concerns of residents covered 5G technology, the use of high-frequency radio waves, and the aesthetics of the antennas.
About a dozen protesters showed up with signs that said, “Protect our homes!” and “Safe cell towers Costa Mesa.”
In response to heated protests, Mayor Pro Tem John Stephens said, “Any type of lawsuit or any attempt to fight these federal regulations would be a loser. It’s just not a good use of taxpayer money.”
The guidelines prioritize the poles in non-residential zones and rank locations in order of preference: light poles, traffic signal poles, utility poles, and new standalone poles. Small cells placed in residential neighborhoods must be at least 25 feet from a residence and 60-feet from the driveways of schools, police and fire stations, or other emergency facilities, per the Daily Pilot. Lastly, antennas must be placed at least 500 feet apart if owned by the same provider.
Costa Mesa isn’t the only city to adopt small cell guidelines that accommodate 5G, FCC regulations, and residents’ concerns. Laguna Beach and Glendale, also located in Southern California, have taken similar paths, according to the Daily Pilot.
October 4, 2019
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