Oak Park leaders expressed concern over new cell towers that were erected at the Kilburn Court water tank. The Municipal Advisory Council said it wants its members to be better informed before the county approves antenna projects in the future.

About a dozen residents who live near the Kilburn water tank attended the MAC’s Sept. 28 meeting.

The Triunfo Water District owns a water tank at the end of Kilburn Court off of Lindero Canyon Road and leases space at the site to cellphone companies. The Kilburn tank has four sets of towers belonging to different providers. The most recent set was installed in 2009 by wireless provider T-Mobile.

The MAC said it endorsed the T-Mobile antennas because it thought they would be compatible with three others already on the tank.

“The new cell towers ended up being much bigger than we expected,” Councilmember Mike Paule said.

Paule said the county planning department failed to provide sufficient information to the MAC when the T-Mobile towers were proposed.

“Tanks are a viable site for cell towers. But we need some checks and balances,” said Paule, who is also president of the Triunfo Sanitation District board of directors.

In the future, Triunfo and the MAC leaders said they want to receive a complete application with photos so officials and neighbors can envisage projects and provide adequate feedback.

MAC members also suggested the cell tower companies expand their notification radius when they want to build a new tower. Residents who live within 300 feet of a proposed tower site currently must be notified.

John Wallace, who lives near the Kilburn tank, said repeated digging on the road near his home poses problems. Competing cellphone providers don’t coordinate projects, so the road is repeatedly dug up as companies install new equipment, he said.

“We’re very unhappy with this. Our roads look pitiful,” Wallace said, adding that cellphone providers disturb the peace in his neighborhood because they begin work on their projects too early in the day.

About a half-dozen residents on Kilburn Court echoed Wallace’s concerns.

Verizon Wireless, which has antennas on the Kilburn tank, has an application pending to upgrade its facilities.

Parking matters

MAC members say they’ve solved the parking issues affecting public streets near Oak Park High School, at least temporarily.

According to officials, students have been parking on neighborhood streets near the school and blocking some private driveways. Parking troubles are most notable in the spring when sophomores receive their driver’s licenses, but don’t have permit to park on campus.

Chair Mike Green and Vice Chair Mike McReynolds met with school leaders and park officials in August to brainstorm ideas that would discourage students from parking on neighboring streets during school hours.

The subcommittee made arrangements with the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District to allow students to use a parking lot near Oak Canyon Park. The lot has about 30 spaces. The park district issued a permit to OPUSD allowing the school to use the spaces during school hours.

Officials also suggested that students park on Sunnycrest Drive near the community garden.

“It’s just as close a walk, and there’s no homes on that street,” Green said.

To solve traffic and parking problems near all schools, authorities agreed to increase surveillance throughout Oak Park when school is in session.

Earlier this summer, the county followed a MAC recommendation to ban parking on one side of Calle Rio Vista and portions of Oak Hills Drive to avoid congestion near the school’s sports field on the north side of the campus.

In the long term, Green said, school officials plan to pave part of the lower field on Calle Rio Vista to make more room for cars.