Small Cell Phone Towers – Costa Mesa Needs a Plan!

• Did you know that over the next few months, Costa Mesa is planning to approve several hundred small cell phone towers all throughout our city?
• Did you know that many of these towers will be placed in residential neighborhoods, close to our schools, playgrounds and other open areas?
• Did you know that the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) considers cell towers “Hazards and Nuisances” and sellers must disclose them as such, impacting property values (by as much as 20%)?
• Did you know that there are numerous scientific studies that recognize the health risks associated with living close to a tower?

To date, the city has approved 36 applications with 31 more in process (see map) with many more to come. These towers are currently 4G but can be easily switched to 5G. We are concerned residents who want to ensure any new cell towers installed in our city are sited a safe distance away from existing homes and schools. While we acknowledge the need for adequate cell coverage for Costa Mesa residents, the number of towers should not be excessive (i.e., more than the minimum number needed for appropriate coverage) and the wireless carriers should demonstrate the need for the requested locations and coverage gap. In all cases, towers should be placed a safe distance from our families.

Outdated FCC guidelines focus only on thermal heating risks from radio frequencies (RF) but dozens of more recent studies, and collections of scientists and countries around the world, recognize the potential health risks of living too close to a cell tower (often defined as closer than 300-400 meters). While we cannot use health effects as an argument against cell phone towers per FCC regulations, citizens nonetheless have a right to know that concerns have been raised regarding safety.

Our city has no overarching strategic plan on how to implement and monitor the influx of these small cell towers in a systemic way and we believe that needs to change. Each cell phone provider needs their own towers (they cannot colocate) which multiplies the overall number significantly. While we have been told in city hearings that only aesthetics can be used as the basis for any objections, other communities in CA have developed more detailed and stringent city ordinances to protect property values, monitor cell phone tower rollouts/EMF emissions and address health concerns.

We are asking the Costa Mesa City Council to expedite a revision to the City’s Municipal Code to do the following:

1) Ensure no small cell towers are built within a quarter mile of any school (children are more susceptible to EMF radiation);
2) Ensure each cell phone tower is no less than 1,500 feet of another tower to avoid cumulative increased EMF exposure from overlapping towers and different carriers
3) Incorporate a limit on the total number of Small Cell Phone Facilitator (“SCF”), aka “nodes” or “towers”, which can be placed in residential neighborhoods; and a limit overall on the maximum number of SCFs to be placed in Costa Mesa;
4) Actively encourage telecommunication providers to locate SCFs in business and industrial areas;
5) Prohibit telecommunication providers from modifying the type of transmissions (i.e. 4G to 5G) being broadcast without public hearings and notice to all residences within 500 ft radius of a residential zone;
6) Actively investigate the options that other CA cities and counties are using, specifically being able to control what telecommunication equipment is allowed into the city prior to any additional applications being approved and applying any adopted ordinances to previously approved cell sites retroactively (e.g., minimum distance away from schools);
7) Per the Costa Mesa Municipal Code (CMMC) referenced below, require the telecommunications providers to prove that each SCF needs to be placed in the location selected and will not overlap with another Telecommunications provider (overlapping increases EMF emissions, potentially beyond a level deemed safe).
We are not against technology, we just want it deployed in a sensible way!

Pursuant to Costa Mesa Municipal Code, Title 10, Chapter 1, Article 4, section 19-15. Wireless telecommunication services provided by telephone corporations in the public rights-of-way. (a)(7) Section 7901.1 of the California Public Utilities code confirms the rights of municipalities to exercise reasonable control …. Specifically, it has been determined by the courts that a municipality has authority to regulate the placement and appearance of telecommunications equipment installed on its public rights-of-way, and that a municipality need not grant wireless providers blanket permission to install their equipment throughout a municipality, but may require wireless providers to go through a site-specific permitting process provided it is not so burdensome that it runs afoul of section 7901.

Map above does not display all locations due to formatting limitations on change.org (see below for complete list of approved or continued cell phone towers).

1. 2750 Fairview Rd
2. 1695 MacArthur Blvd
3. 3565 Harbor Blvd
4. 3115 Airway Ave
5. 1307 Sunflower Ave
6. 3333 Bristol St
7. 1565 Sunflower Ave
8. 77 Fair Dr
9. 3300 Bristol St
10. 3339 Bear St
11. 450 W Wilson St
12. 2196 Harbor Blvd
13. 333 Merrimac Way
14. 400 Merrimac Way
15. 2600 Harbor Blvd
16. 1087 Baker St
17. 3333 Baker St
18. 1055 El Camino Dr
19. 981 Presidio Dr
20. 3565 Harbor Blvd
21. 3545 Harbor Blvd
22. 1155 Baker St
23. 1046 Valencia St
24. 3120 Manistee Dr
25. 643 Victoria St
26. 850 Fairview Rd
27. 685 Sunflower Ave
28. 3590 Harbor Gateway N
29. 3590 Harbor Gateway S
30. 1050 Arlington Dr
31. 2490 Fairview Rd
32. 2775 Placentia Ave
33. 1620 Elm Ave
34. 1641 Labrador Dr
35. 1260 Logan Ave
36. 1300 Adams Ave
37. 400 Enclave Cir
38. 1772 Oriole Dr
39. 3007 Country Club Dr
40. 2926 Clubhouse Rd
41. 2011 Placentia Ave
42. 1701 Baker St
43. 1993 Meyer Pl
44. 3056 Warren Ln
45. 1051 Cheyenne St
46. 3045 Babb St
47. 3107 Killybrooke Ln
48. 615 Town Center Dr