New Tower for Pelham- Like it or not!

We weren’t sure what we were going to town hall for last night. A neighbor notified us that there was to be an information session about a proposed tower to be built nearby. It was last minute so we simply finished our supper and headed out. We assumed that the meeting would provide us with all of the necessary details. As it turned out, many of us left with more questions than we had going into the meeting.

 

The presentation was presented by a representative of Rogers Communications. The introduction informed us that the meeting was designed to act as a consultation process with the affected residents. It did not take long for the mood of the room to escalate with frustration. The residents that attended the session were generally opposed to the construction of a 65 meter tower being built on the commercial lands of the UFD property at Victoria Ave. & Canboro Rd. in Fenwick.

The landowners were concerned about the risks involved with having radio transmission equipment operating within a close proximity to people, specifically children. Several individuals at the meeting had copies of reports and articles citing the dangers of radio waves and that raised questions about the overall safety of the technology that we are becoming dependant upon. To a lesser degree, the visual impact of a tower near homes was a consideration primarily as to how it might affect property values.

 

There were additional concerns about the process that is followed when proceeding with the development of new communications sites. Several people were irritated that they were not notified by mail about the project and that public notifications were not available. Rogers insisted that a notice was run in the local paper but there has not yet been confirmation of that fact.

 

Rogers attempted to describe the project that is underway and the process that is involved. Most of the questions that residents had were with respect to quality and operational standards as well as health and safety. The Rogers representative explained that the company was required to follow guidelines created by Industry Canada and Health Canada. He suggested that questions and concerns are presented directly to Industry and Health Canada.

 

The discussion about the safety of living within a close proximity of transmitting equipment circled around several points and concerns. The fact that cellular services have been in place for years now was addressed. The position of the Rogers representative was that if the process was unsafe, there would be substantial numbers of health problems in major centers where cell signals are concentrated. The representative then stated that the Pelham tower in question would be home to new technology that has not yet been introduced to market. The questions about how much information is available on the new technology to ensure safety were directed to Health Canada.

 

The summary of the project is that the commercial property owner is paid a lease for at least the next 20 years. The communications company negotiates a deal with the landlord that is based of typical market rates. The desire for Rogers to establish a tower location in Fenwick is due to the customer demand that they perceive warrants additional facilities. The presenter also advised the group that the company has plans to establish 2 other tower locations nearby. One would be at the intersection of Victoria Ave. and Twenty Rd. and the other would be on Hwy #20 at Grassie Rd. in Grimsby.

 

Rogers is licensed and regulated by the federal government and they follow the procedures established by Industry Canada. The presenter advised the group that their questions and concerns would be included in a report that would be available to the municipality following the consultation process. The presenter was asked if there was any way that the project could be stopped. His response was that he was unable to respond to the question.