Hearing will air concerns over cell phone antennas
By JAMIE WETHERBE Special to the Daily Press
CITY HALL — Cell phone users may soon get better reception in Santa Monica but first City Hall has to resolve a lawsuit filed against it by two companies who want the right to build antennas on public land.
AB Cellular — a subsidiary of AT&T — and Verizon Wireless have filed separate lawsuits against the city for the right to build telecommunication antennas in four locations within Santa Monica.
Company representatives say they’ve had complaints about gaps in service and poor cell phone reception in Santa Monica. The antennas would correct that problem, they say.
As a result of legal pressure applied by the cell phone companies, City Hall officials are changing Santa Monica’s law. Currently it’s illegal to erect cell phone antennas on public property. Communities have historically opposed that type of construction because antennas can be large and obtrusive, said Deputy City Attorney Cara Silver, who is handling the cases.
Telecommunications companies in the past have built antennas on private land, but now the preference has shifted to public spaces — including streets, sidewalks and alleys — because of customers’ demand for better reception, Silver said.
With 15 million wireless users, California is by far the state with the most cell phones, and the additional antennas would help companies accommodate customers’ needs, according to officials.
State law already allows gas and electric companies to build on public land. The City Attorney’s office in the process of updating Santa Monica’s policy so elected officials can vote on it as soon as next month.
AB Cellular’s antenna would be on the corner of San Vicente Boulevard and 17th Street, while Verizon seeks to build three of them on the bluffs near Pacific Palisades Park, off of San Vicente Boulevard and Montana Avenue.
While city councilmembers said they didn’t know enough about the case to comment, the issue in February will be brought before the City Council for a public hearing, allowing for industry and community comment.
Silver said she expects some public opposition on the controversial and aesthetic issue because older technologies have in the past produced “monster antennas” in Santa Monica, Silver said.
But current technology might be able to offer Santa Monica a more subtle variety.
Silver said the cellular companies would likely install “stealth” operations — which use smaller and more camouflaged equipment — making the antennas easier on the eye.
Verizon spokesman Keith Karpé said the company tries to balance the need for cellular service with the need to preserve the communities’ aesthetics.
Karpé said though he couldn’t speak directly about Santa Monica, throughout Southern California Verizon typically adds a small antenna to existing phone equipment or places equipment underground.
“Unless you’re staring up (at the antenna), you wouldn’t see it,” he said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 20, 2004. Read the original PDF.