Cell Tower planned next to Mark Twain School
By Paul
Hargrave
Cingular Wireless is proposing
to install a cellular base station antenna at the Venice Baptist Church located
at Walgrove and Lucille. The cellular phone industry has been specifically
seeking churches to locate its antennas in residential areas since they
generally have the highest buildings and they can hide the array in the
steeples. This method has also provided them a way around the
“eyesore” argument. What hasn’t been sidestepped is the
potential health risks associated with these radiation-emitting towers.
We, as a community, should be very
concerned about the placement of these structures in our neighborhood.
This site is directly across the
street from Mark Twain Middle School. Studies have shown that of all the
potential health risks associated therein, children are the most susceptible. A
vast number of the health and scientific community are vehemently opposed to the
location of such antenna near people and study upon study show there is a risk
of cancer, lymphoma, DNA alterations, decreased memory and attention in school
children, etc. The reality is that no one knows for sure if these sites are
safe, although the wireless industry will have you believe otherwise. We do not
want to be guinea pigs in this
experiment.
Also, there is evidence that
property values can be affected by as much as 10-15 percent for homes located
near these cell towers. This is extremely unfair to us.
The same situation was attempted in
2002 at the Venice New Life Church and was successfully thwarted because of the
public outcry. We need the same thing to occur here.
Venice Baptist Church Pastor Craig
Henson has agreed to hold a community meeting to address this issue on Tuesday,
December 6, at 7 pm. at the church located at 2241 Walgrove Avenue at the corner
of Lucille. Your attendance could mean everything.
Then, the City of Los Angeles
Department of Zoning Administration is holding a public hearing on the matter on
Thursday December 15 at 10:30 AM. The location of this hearing is the West Los
Angeles Municipal Building, Second Floor Hearing Room, 1645 Corinth Avenue, L.A.
90025. A strong turnout here as well can make a great difference. But, be
forewarned that health concerns cannot be addressed at the City hearing since
the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 prohibits State or local government
from regulating these devices based on concerns such as emissions; there we can
only object for other reasons.
Your
support and attendance of these meetings is the only chance we have to let the
cellular industry, and those property owners that are willing to sell out, know
that we do not want this in our neighborhood. The voice of the people has
succeeded before and we need to do it again.
Posted: Mon - December
5, 2005 at 07:26 PM