A use permit for a proposed monopine cell tower on Dog Bar Road in the Grass Valley area was denied by the Nevada County Board of Supervisors (BOS.) Yesterday, the BOS voted 4-1 to uphold an appeal by Jeff and Kristin Phalen, citing errors in the original survey plans submitted and opposition by the neighborhood among the reasons to uphold the appeal. Supervisors were also not convinced the proposed tower was necessary to augment coverage in the area.
The original site survey was off by 40 ft, according to county staff. Updated plans show the tower closer to the southern property line, still within the county’s required setback. According to county staff reports, the application was consistent with the county’s general plan and zoning ordinances.
Verizon representatives stated the 129-ft tall tower would alleviate congestion for the existing towers, but that argument did not sit well with Hardy Bullock, the Chair of the BOS. He pointed to maps produced by various telecom providers, all showing full coverage in the area.
Public comment was uniformly against the proposed tower, with neighbors stating they are not against cell towers, but objected to the location. Decreased property values, noise from the on-site generator and concerns about fire and radiation were the main concerns.
The appellants implored the supervisors to deny the application with Phalen saying “We the people need your help.”
During her presentation, Kristin Phalen said another cell tower in Nevada County was a perfect illustration for the incipient fire danger these communication facilities represent.
“This is also the monopine in Alta Sierra and our attorney says that as much as one time a month these towers catch fire. They overheat and catch fire. This specific tower, three weeks ago, did this. It started smoking, it overheated and it was about to catch fire. And fortunately that happened midday and people could call the fire department to get it under control before this turned into a disaster right in out backyard.” Phalen said as she showed the slide including the burning top of a cell tower. Video here.
The photo of the burning cell tower is from a 2014 story about a cell tower in Grandview Heights, Ohio. Phalen clarified in a phone call with YubaNet, “I apologize if this caused any confusion, it was the only image I could find. I couldn’t find a photo of a cell tower just smoking, but I was very clear in my words.” We confirmed with the Emergency Command Center the firefighter response was for an electrical hazard only, not a fire.
Supervisors voted 4-1, with Supervisor Hall voting No, to uphold the appeal and deny the conditional use permit.
Cell towers, connectivity still an issue in Nevada County
Cell phone coverage in Nevada County can be described as spotty at best, with many areas outside the cities and town devoid of coverage. This prompted the installation of emergency satellites callboxes at various South Yuba River crossings to allow for direct calls to 911 in the case of a medical emergency, a drowning or wildfire start. CodeRED emergency notifications are also sent to subscribed mobile phone numbers via cell towers.