With your help,

and your voice,

We have an opportunity to stop the installation of a 40’ new cell tower at the end of a beautiful, scenic residential street, 

in the Village of Franklin, Michigan!

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BRAVO Franklin neighbors!!!  Thank you for your incredible support!!!

We now have over 400 signatures including this on-line petition and from visiting our neighbors door to door!!! 

If you have not signed a paper petition in person, please help us continue to increase our numbers by signing here, on-line!!!

Let's keep GOING! 

(Note: To achieve the most accurate count possible, please sign only once, and only if you are a resident of the Village of Franklin, Michigan.  

If you have signed a paper petition, you're all set, you're counted, and we thank you!!!)

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*       Please join us, with your signature on this petition, to respectfully request that the Franklin Village Council deny the application for this new cell tower at their next meeting on October 9, 2024. 

*       Please also join us at the Village Council meeting on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 (Assuming at the normal time, 6:00 pm, at the Franklin Village Hall, Broughton House), to let your voice be heard in person!

NOTE - Date/time is not yet officially published on the Franklin.gov website, please check back here closer to the date:

https://franklin.mi.us/government/village_president_and_council/meeting_dates.php

 *     Please call the Oakland County Road Commission, to file a complaint, stating your wishes to deny this new cell tower! Simple, easy, and very effective – they are interested in hearing from you, too!  

877-858-4804, Call M-F, during business hours, 7:30am – 4:15 pm.

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HELPFUL BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The new cell tower’s proposed location is at the end of Woodside Drive, a beautiful, park like residential street, where it meets 13 Mile Road.  It will have no positive impact for Franklin residents who live within the range of the pole, is T-Mobile specific, and has overwhelming opposition from those who live within the 1000-foot radius (range of impact) of this proposed new cell tower!

For at least the last 20 months, many of us in Franklin have let our voices be known by attending Franklin Village Council meetings, attending Franklin Village Planning Commission meetings, giving presentations to both the Planning Commission and the Village Council, and encouraging Village resident participation.  

We have urged both the Village Council and the Planning Commission to reflect the choices and rights of those they were elected to serve, with a decision to deny this proposed new cell tower application.  

Both the Franklin Village Council and the Franklin Planning Commission have requested that we circulate a petition... 

...to show them evidence of Village resident opposition.

We obliged.  

We created a petition.

We sent it for review by an attorney (a nationally acclaimed expert in this space, licensed to practice in Michigan) 

...and are now actively circulating it throughout Franklin and asking for your help!  

Please support your Franklin Village neighbors who would be impacted by, and are vehemently against this new cell tower, by signing our petition!

And please attend the upcoming Franklin Village Council meeting!

Thank you! 

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KEY POINTS (Official petition language follows below):

1.      This new cell tower will NOT provide better cell coverage for Villagers - it will improve performance only for T-Mobile patrons traveling along a limited section of 13 Mile Rd and the immediate environs - as publicly admitted by Extenet, the contracted installation company. 

2.      It contradicts Main Street Franklin’s Master Plan (Ref. 3)

GOAL 1: VILLAGE CHARACTER 

• OBJECTIVE: “Promote new wireless communication facilities... in a manner that is compatible with the aesthetics, character, and environment of the Village.”
• POLICY: “Preserve the simple, rural atmosphere of Franklin by maintaining and enhancing the rural scenic nature of roadways.”

3.      It contradicts Main Street Franklin’s Master Plan (Ref. 3)

GOAL 4: BALANCING PROPERTY-OWNER RIGHTS 

• POLICY: “Strongly support the interests of the homeowners when considering land use and environmental preservation regulations to ensure the preservation of the rural-like character of the Village,” 
• POLICY: “Enforce Village ordinances and regulations to promote and preserve individual property-owner rights as well as public interests inherent in preservation of the rural character of the Village.”

4.      It contradicts Main Street Franklin’s Master Plan (Ref. 3)

GOAL 7: UNIQUE IDENTITY

• POLICY: Encourage the design of residential development that will contribute to the character, identity, diversity and individuality of the Village.
• OBJECTIVE: Develop a unified street and public facility sign system that reflects the character of the Village.
• OBJECTIVE: Develop and maintain a tree management program that ensures a continuous tree canopy throughout the Village, especially along public streets.

5.      It contradicts Main Street Franklin’s Master Plan (Ref. 3)

GOAL 13: TECHNOLOGY GOALS 

• POLICY: “Encourage the use of unobtrusive means of expanding and improving cellular telephone reception, and improving internet access.”
• POLICY: “Discourage the installation of towers or other obtrusive structures or devices to achieve the above goals, unless to do so would result in a danger to the public health, safety or welfare.”

6.      This cell tower has the potential to decrease surrounding property values by 20-30%. (Ref 2.)

7.      Once installed, the company, Extenet, will have unlimited opportunity, without the consent of residents, to upgrade hardware, add additional hardware and increase the number of providers on the tower, causing dramatic increases in EMF’s and RF’s in perpetuity.

• IMPORTANT NOTE: The FCC was sued in Federal Court and LOST, regarding the lack of relevant safety information associated with its roll out of new cellular infrastructure.  The FCC claims, falsely, that massive exposure to cellular frequencies are safe.  There exists an abundance of medical and scientific data that prove catastrophic consequences to not only human health, but also to wildlife and our environment.  Yes, this new 5G+ cell tower will have catastrophic health implications for humans and wildlife, but the FCC will not recognize citizen concern regarding health and safety.  
• We unfortunately cannot ask for a cell tower application denial based on health and safety implications, due to current Federal and State regulations.
• Fortunately, we have provided the Village Council with legitimate legal premise to deny this new cell tower application.  Please see the first four points on the petition (verbiage below).  This reasoning aligns with Michigan laws and statutes.  (Note points: i. – iv.)

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PETITION PARAMETERS:

To achieve the most accurate count possible, we are asking that you please sign only once, and only if you are a resident of the Village of Franklin, Michigan.  

If you have signed a paper petition, you're all set, you're counted, and we thank you!!!

If possible, please sign before the next Council meeting on October 9, 2024.

And, please share with your Franklin neighbors!

Thank you!!!

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IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL ACTION ITEMS!

Please Call:

The Oakland County Road Commission, to file a complaint, stating your wishes to deny this new cell tower!  

Simple, easy and very effective – they are very much a part of the decision making process!  They need to hear from you!

877-858-4804, Call M-F, during business hours, 7:30am – 4:15 pm.

Please attend:

Franklin Village Council Meeting 

• Wednesday, October 9, 2024 
• at 6:00 pm (check the website listed above to confirm the time)
• Franklin Village Hall, Broughton House, 32325 Franklin Road (near the Franklin Village Police Station, off of Franklin Road)

Come and let your voices be heard!

Thank you!

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OFFICIAL PETITION LANGUAGE:

PETITION

For a Cease-and-Desist Action 

Regarding Extenet’s T-Mobile Cellular Infrastructure Proposal & Application

Village of Franklin, Michigan

July/August/September/October 2024

We, the concerned residents of the Village of Franklin, Michigan PETITION for

*      A cease-and-desist action by Extenet and all interested cellular providers (now and in the future), of the cellular infrastructure proposal and application, as well as a

*     A Village Council denial of the current application to install a new cell tower in the Village of Franklin:

i.               Whereas this location presents a materially dangerous safety hazard to motorists in its potential visual conflict with two directional signs, which may impede motorist vision and cause confusion regarding the information provided by said directional signage. (Ref. 1)

ii.              Whereas this location presents a materially dangerous safety hazard to motorists and pedestrians with its close proximity to the roadway. (Ref. 1)

iii.            Whereas this proposed cell tower conflicts with the nature, aesthetics and safety of the location chosen, by adding an additional item to an already busy location where multiple signs and poles are located. (Ref. 1)

iv.             Whereas this tower will materially disrupt the safety of the public as it presents an obstacle to the potential placement of a pedestrian pathway along 13 Mile Road. (Ref. 1)

v.              Whereas this tower will significantly decrease property values of homes and property within at least a 1,000-foot radius/2,000-foot diameter from the proposed location (Ref. 2)

vi.             Whereas this proposed cell tower afflicts all properties and dwellings within the (approximately 2,000 foot) frequency range, thereby unconstitutionally removing choice, and respect for private property autonomy, 

• a.     in direct conflict with many goals and objectives of the Franklin Village Master Plan. (Ref. 3)

vii.           Whereas this proposed cell tower does not provide the community of the Village of Franklin with increased cellular coverage, as its proposed placement does not align with residents’ cellular providers.

• a.     This cell tower would ONLY impact the cellular coverage of T-Mobile drivers, along a 2,000-foot length of 13 Mile Road, during an approximately two-minute commute along 13 Mile Road.  

viii.          Whereas this cell tower will not serve the cellular network design due to the massive tree canopy and foliage present on 13 Mile Road and within the Village of Franklin 

ix.             Whereas this proposed cell tower goes against the wishes and directly and egregiously conflicts with the choices of affected Villagers within the 2,000-foot proximity to the pole location, thereby rendering it a DISSERVICE to the Village of Franklin and its residents, whom the Village Council was elected to serve. 

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REFERENCES: 

Ref. 1) GROUNDS FOR DENIAL:

APPLICABLE LEGAL JUSTIFICATION FOR DENIAL (In the petition verbiage, Items i. through iv. provide legal grounds for denial, as they align with current Michigan legislation. See OFFICIAL PETITION LANGUAGE above.)

Current Michigan Legislation:

SMALL WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES DEPLOYMENT ACT (EXCERPT) 

Act 365 of 2018, Section 460.1315; (Applicability of appropriate grounds for) denial:

An authority may deny a completed application for a proposed collocation of a small cell wireless facility or installation, modification, or replacement of a utility pole that meets the height requirements in section 13(5)(a) only if the proposed activity would do any of the following:

         (ii) Materially interfere with sight lines or clear zones for transportation or pedestrians. 

         (iv) Materially interfere with maintenance or full unobstructed use of public utility infrastructure under the jurisdiction of an authority.

         (vi) Fail to comply with reasonable, nondiscriminatory, written spacing requirements of general applicability adopted by ordinance or otherwise that apply to the location of ground-mounted equipment new utility poles and that do not prevent a wireless provider from serving any location.

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Ref. 2) PROPERTY VALUE DECREASE POTENTIAL (Note Oakland County, MI Reference)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Survey by the National Institute for Science, Law & Public Policy Indicates Cell Towers and Antennas Negatively Impact Interest in Real Estate Properties

94% of respondents said a nearby cell tower or group of antennas would negatively impact interest in a property or the price they would be willing to pay for it

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE – A Berkshire Hathaway Company)--A survey conducted in June 2014 by the National Institute for Science, Law and Public Policy (NISLAPP) in Washington, D.C., “Neighborhood Cell Towers & Antennas—Do They Impact a Property’s Desirability?”, shows home buyers and renters are less interested in properties located near cell towers and antennas, as well as in properties where a cell tower or group of antennas are placed on top of or attached to a building.

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Ref. 3) CURRENT FRANKLIN VILLAGE MASTER PLAN

https://cms7files.revize.com/franklinmi/Franklin-MP-FINAL-123015-ADOPTED.pdf

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Thank you!