Morrison cell tower comes underfire





 

 

Opposition could hang up plans for a new cell tower above the Morrison Ranch community in Agoura Hills.

In September, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District considered a request by AT&T to build a cellular site on the district’s Morrison water tank property.

The wireless provider wants to lease a portion of the 7.7-acre parcel north of Woodglen and Ridgebrook drives for the new facility, which it says would improve cell coverage in the area.

Because the water tank is near some homes, district officials voted to postpone a decision regarding the cell facility until AT&T obtains a response, either in favor or against the project, from the Morrison Ranch Homeowners Association.

LVMWD has seven leases with cellular providers, including locations in Calabasas and Westlake Village.

Because water tanks tend to be at a high elevation, it is not uncommon for communication facilities to be built on these sites.

According to David Pedersen, general manager for LVMWD, the district generally cooperates with communications companies to place cell facilities at its water tank sites because both services benefit the community and the leases provide a modest source of revenue for the district.

The Morrison Ranch site lease would bring $25,000 annually to the district.

Not everyone is happy with the idea.

Jan Gerstel, president of the Morrison Ranch Homeowners Association, which represents 1,226 homes, said AT&T should have contacted his organization first.

“Now LVMWD is going to be the face, and they will be blamed. But ultimately it should be AT&T to take the blame,” he said.

Denise Arledge, whose home is about 300 feet away from the water tank, opposes the cell facility.

“It would be in plain sight,” she said. “What everybody is most upset about is that AT&T was supposed to come to us first before they went over to the Las Virgenes water district.”

Arledge, who is an AT&T wireless subscriber, said she is satisfied with her service and does not see a need for improved cell coverage in her neighborhood.

The cell towers should not be installed without regard to the people who live nearby, Gerstel said, adding that in addition to the tank, the area has large power lines, and some residents there don’t want their views to be further obstructed by cell towers.

An AT&T representative is scheduled to attend the next homeowners association meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 21 in Willow Elementary School’s multipurpose room. The representative will share details about the proposed facilities and answer questions from residents.

“We want to be transparent to people in the community and give them all the information so they can speak out,” Gerstel said. “ If one person doesn’t want to have the new cell tower in their neighborhood, being on the board, I will support that position.”

LVMWD board member Barry Steinhardt said he will support the wishes of residents.

“ Las Virgenes Municipal Water District is not in the business of cell towers. We are in the business of delivering highquality water and sanitation. I represent the area in Morrison Ranch where the cell towers are proposed. If the area residents are not in favor, as their elected official I will support them and oppose the cell tower,” he said.

Jeff Reinhardt, spokesperson for LVMWD, said details for placement and height of the cell tower have not been established yet.

After the board reviews comments from the association, directors will decide whether they’ll approve a conditional lease. If they do, then AT&T needs to apply for a city permit to build the cell tower.

At a meeting Sept. 24, David Lippman, director of facilities and operations for LVMWD, said the district doesn’t usually consult with residents on such projects.

“ We don’t want to take the role of the land- use agency for this project. We believe that is up to the City of Agoura Hills’ planning commission,” Lippman said, adding that residents will be notified by the city and will have the opportunity to share their concerns at a public hearing.

Board president Charles Caspary echoed Lippman’s remarks.

“We’re not a land-use planning agency. The conditional use process is well-designed to deal with issues such as cellular antennas,” Caspary said.

But Steinhardt said the district already has enough trouble with public relations. He urged the board to table the discussion until the district gets a response from Morrison Ranch.

“ It would be a mistake for us. . . . You’re putting the cart before the horse, and I will not approve it,” he said.

About four years ago, a group of residents in Calabasas halted a similar plan to construct a cell tower on a water tank in their neighborhood. LVMWD had approved the lease, but residents fought for more than a year, appearing at planning commission and council meetings to stop the project.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *