Zone Holyoke! Stop Small Cell Towers!

Zone Holyoke! Stop Small Cell Towers!

Started
March 8, 2019
Petition to
Holyoke Ordinance Chair Linda Vacon and 3 others
Signatures: 9Next Goal: 10
Support now

Why this petition matters

Started by Kirstin Beatty

Note: Please sign up at Last Tree Laws dot com instead in support because this petition does not seem to add names--I'm not sure why.

In 2012 I realized I was sensitive to wireless. My oncologist said most people he treated had this sensitivity. Turning off wireless is how I healed.

Small cell towers may stand 50 feet high and be 10 feet from homes on sidewalks and public rights of way and a block or three apart. Numerous telco cells may exist on one pole. A recent study for Montgomery County, Maryland, found that inside 11 feet radius from one small cell legal power levels can be exceeded.

Known hazards include fires, electrical shock, fall (top-heavy), toxic explosions (if power source batteries or propane is hit), toxic leaks, and medical impacts. The US Toxicology Program found “clear evidence” of heart and brain tumors from wireless, and thousands of studies show additional risks exist, including to insects, birds, and our environment (See Last Tree Laws dot com for sources, legislation, and more information).

If placed on town property, local communities will be liable for adverse events. Dozens of cities are challenging the constitutionality of the Federal Communications Commissions rule to limit local fees and control of wireless infrastructure placement. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 recognizes local authority for zoning, even if the FCC fails to do so, hence the lawsuits.

We need a strong ordinance to protect our town that preserves local authority and keeps small cells away from our homes and vulnerable areas.

We need to reduce the amount of wireless in our lives, and demand better quality and safer hard-wired connections.

INSTALLED & IN USE EARLY 2018 on Holyoke G&E utility poles:
At the intersection of Southampton Road and Easthampton Road
In front of Sullivan School on Jarvis Avenue
At the intersection of Easthampton Road and Jarvis Avenue

VERIZON APRIL 2018 APPLICATIONS (not installed yet):

177 West Street
(1?)302 Chestnut Street
2217 Northampton Street
532 Southbridge Street

SAMPLE ORDINANCE ITEMS TO INCLUDE (more at Last Tree Laws):

  • Immediate denial by city staff of incomplete applications "without prejudice" -- applicants can apply again with new application fees
  • Notification of nearby residents no later than the day the application is submitted to the city/county
  • An easy to find webpage listing applications and project docs on city/county webiste
  • 1000 feet notification zone
  • All residents notified -- renters and property owners
  • 500+ ft setback of projects from residences
  • Spacing between towers
  • All wireless infrastructure and equipment in the PROW has to go through permitting, noticing, and public hearings
  • Planning Commission/Board hearings, rather than Zoning Administrator/staff hearings due to shortened shotclock
  • Each project compliant with ADA; full and equal access of disabled members of the public, including with medical implants, to the use of the PROW and for use and enjoyment of their homes is guaranteed
  • Et cetera (please see Last Tree Laws for a long list of other items).

This is a last-minute petition created late 3/8/2019. Please share on social media for Holyoke and nearby communities for signatures.

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Signatures: 9Next Goal: 10
Support now
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Decision Makers

  • Linda VaconHolyoke Ordinance Chair
  • Todd McGeeHolyoke City Council President
  • James LavelleHolyoke Gas & Electric Manager
  • Alex morseHolyoke Mayor