CONGRATULATIONS SUNSET RESIDENTS ...

On June 8, 2006 the San Francisco Planning Commission announced that Sprint/Nextel Communications "officially" withdrew its application for placement of a cell phone tower at the Sunset District Reservoir.  However, residents are not stopping their opposition, and an effort is underway to petition the Public Utilities Commission and the City to remove the Sunset Reservoir from future consideration.   Please monitor D. Gutierrez's website for updates on this issue.  Thank you for your support!

Sprint/Nextel Communications wants to put a cell phone tower in the heart of the Sunset District of San Francisco.  The tower will be 60' tall and camouflaged to look like a tree with three antennas.  The proposed site for the tower is Southwest corner of the Sunset reservoir, next to the intersection of 28th Avenue and Quintara Street.

Sprint/Nextel Communications supplied the Planning Department with a study concerning the health impacts of microwave radiation from cell towers, but it does not take a college education to discover that most of the research trying to dismiss or minimize the health impact of cell phone towers is financed by the companies in favor of putting up towers. The fact of the matter is that there are serious health concerns posed by cell phone towers. See a list of links and websites on this issue.

On May 25, 2006, I contacted Planning Department representative Michael Smith by phone at (415) 558-6322 to ask about public response to the proposal (Case No. 2005.0938CR) and to find out what was omitted from the Notice of Hearing that the Department mailed to residents. Per Mr. Smith, he has received many calls from people who are opposed to the tower, mine included, but given a late request for continuance, it the hearing will now be heard on June 8, 2006 at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room, 400.

What came as a surprise was Mr. Smith's advisement that even if residents came to the hearing, the Planning Commission would not give any weight to residents' health concerns. Apparently, the Commission defers to the FCC on regulation of radiation emissions, and the City and County of San Francisco may no more regulate the issue the radiation emissions than "the food we eat". The problem with this is that we can choose what to eat, but we are being denied the ability to decide whether to be exposed to health risks. The City and County had no problem putting a measure on the last ballot to allow San Francisco residents to decide whether to challenge their Constitutional right to bear arms, so why is it ready to gloss an issue with serious health concerns? Could it be that it is more is more interested in revenue from a corporation than advocating for its own residents?

We must convince the San Francisco City Planning Commission to reject the proposal, and not to try to find another site within the Sunset. I drafted form letters you can print and send to the Planning Commission, Sprint/Nextel Communications, and various government officials. Please print, sign and send them off the sooner the better. Also, if you can make it to the hearing on June 8, 2006, be sure to call (415) 558-6422 a few days prior to confirm the case is still on calendar.

Home | Contact us | Documents | Links | Support us