We, the undersigned, strongly oppose the construction and installation of cell towers and other wireless facilities, including but not limited to antennas, smart cells, and mini cell towers in our neighborhoods near schools, parks and homes and other community gathering places.

The most demonstrative opposition to this application that there is no need for additional wireless service in the Del Rey Neighborhood.  Our current wireless service is fully sufficient and functional.  Any individual seeking more service can have it installed directly in their homes if in fact they do so without imposing any wireless radiation on his/her neighbor properties.  Many times signals are blocked due to materials and partitions within the home and improvements need to be made within the home as opposed to outside the home.  Professional assessments regarding wireless signals in the home are available.

 Furthermore, We are opposed to Verizon’s plans to install cell antennas and associated equipment at 4339 Alla Road (CDP 15-04) and on any other utility pole or other location in Del Rey and adjacent neighborhoods. This site is nested within our home radius, as would other, where we habitate for SAFETY, and this would be directly in front of and within a dangerous radius of where we as a community sleep, eat, and care for our children.

Furthermore, We are opposed to any of Verizon’s future plans for additional sites in our Del Rey neighborhood and within miles of our Del Rey homes. By placing their cell towers in neighborhoods, they are causing irreparable damage to our health, future of our childrens' lives, our property values, et al.

Our opposition to the current site at 4339 Alla Road is based on the following concerns related to having cell towers, antennas, smart cells, mini cell towers, or any derivative of a cellular communication installment or instrument for the purpose of tranmitting signal, within a dangerous radius of homes and neighborhood community spaces:  We require this radius to be a minimum of 2000 feet away from our homes and neighborhood community public space, at this time.  This radius requirement may increase given the increasing evidence about the physical, physiological, and biological harm cell towers are proven to emit on human health, as well as the other detrimental to our neighborhood value and property values, as well as the installation and any similar installations being in conflict with federal law, state, and local law.  This radius approximates the area which is compromised in value by installation of noted cellular devices, and derivatives of such devices/instruments.

 

1. HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH EXPOSURE TO WIRELESS EMISSIONS

While the FCC claims that wireless facilities are safe, the U.S. Department of the Interior states that “the electromagnetic radiation standards used by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) continue to be based on thermal heating, a criterion now nearly 30 years out of date and inapplicable today.” Other countries now limit public exposure to levels far lower than the standards currently set by the FCC.

Studies have shown that even at low levels of radiation, there is evidence of biological damage, brain tumors, cancer, weakened immune function, childhood leukemia, reduced sperm count and ovarian follicles.  Also included in studies are:

 

• SPONTANEOUS ABORTION

• Genetic Mutations
• Memory disruptions
• Hindered learning
• ADD
• Insomnia
• Brain disorders
• Hormonal imbalances
• Infertility
• Dementia
• Heart complications

 

In May 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the type of radiation that cell towers emit as a Class 2B carcinogen, meaning “possibly carcinogenic to humans”, the same category as lead and DDT.

The American Association of Pediatrics raises concerns that children may be more vulnerable than adults “because of the potentially greater susceptibility of their developing nervous systems; in addition, their brain tissue is more conductive, radio frequency radiation penetration is greater relative to head size, and they will have a longer lifetime of exposure than adults.”

 

2. ADDITIONAL NEGATIVE IMPACT ON SAFETY

There are non-radiation safety hazards posed by wireless installations on utility poles in residential neighborhoods, which current City regulations do not address. These include pole overloading and resulting fire and electrocution hazards when poles topple due to earthquakes, vehicular accidents or high winds; and explosive and toxic chemical hazards from backup batteries.

 

3. NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE RESIDENTS

The close proximity to homes in neighborhoods, specifically Del Rey, would be an intrusion into the privacy of the residents. Workers performing routine maintenance would have direct views into homes.

Wireless companies require access for maintenance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. That maintenance (often done at night) brings work crews, trucks with lifts, radios, lights and noise that will affect many neighbors.

 

4. NEGATIVE IMPACT ON PROPERTY VALUES

The health hazards and unsightliness of these installations will have a negative impact on property values. The perceived threat alone would lower property values. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines categorize cell towers with "hazards and nuisances," and HUD requires its certified appraisers to take the presence of nearby cell towers into consideration when determining the value of single-family residential properties. Studies have shown that proximity to a cell tower can lower property values from 5 to 20%.

 

5. NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY

Allowing this cell antenna, and others scheduled for the neighborhood, will set a precedent allowing for co-location and additional antennas in our neighborhood community and neighboring communities. Verizon already has plans for several other sites in this area. If Verizon can blanket the neighborhood with cell antennas, what is to stop other wireless companies from doing the same? And once a cell site is established, our ability to protect ourselves from additional hazardous exposure of more installations becomes more of a challenge.  Are residential streets shaded by canopies of cell antennas what we want for our future neighborhoods?

 

 

To Councilmember Bonin, James Tebbetts,  LA City Government: We ask you to support us in preventing this cell installation and any future wireless installations near our parks, schools, and homes. We ask for your help to put an end to this ongoing community threat, distracting us from caring for ourselves and our children. We ask you to facilitate legislation to keep cell towers out of our neighborhood communities and away from our homes and neighborhood community public space.

To The Los Angeles City Council and City Attorney: We are your constituents and we are asking you to fix the laws that regulate the placement of wireless telecommunications facilities.

We urge you to expedite this process. We urge you to enact an Interim Control Ordinance to impose an immediate moratorium on all wireless telecommunication facilities in the Public Right of Way and in the Del Rey neighborhood and/or applications for approval of such installations until legislation outlining rigorous safety standards for communities with regard to cell towers, antennas, smart cells, mini towers and other wireless devices is enacted.

Furthermore, we are not aware of nor have been informed of any existing cell towers or antennas in our Del Rey neighborhood.  We require a copy of the application for the CDP No. 15-04 be filed with the Los Angeles City Attorney. 

Thank you for your consideration and attention to this important matter.