EFCL Planning & Development Committee

September 26, 2012

#4.2 Cell Tower Policy Recommendation: That EFCL support the policy to discourage Telecommunication Facilities in residential areas. That EFCL recommend to City Council that they amend the proposed Telecommunications Facility policy in the following major ways: a. Add a clause which states that any exercise of discretion under this policy by the City must be reasonable and directed toward minimizing adverse land use impacts b. Similarly, the Locations for a Telecommunication Facility should be chosen by the City to minimize present and future adverse land use impacts, particularly in Residential Areas. c. Improve the public consultation requirements: i. Require community consultation even when there is some screening of the Telecommunications Facility, or the residential area is separated from the Telecommunications Facility by an arterial road from a Residential Area or Heritage Area, to ensure the screening is adequate ii. Require a formal meeting, not just a door-to-door canvass when consultations are required iii. Make it mandatory to notify the Community League about Significant Telecommunication Tower proposals iv. Instruct the tower proponent to place notifications in an envelope addressed to the Occupant and clearly show in bold type on the face of the envelope the statement: A CELL TOWER IS PROPOSED WITHIN (XXX) METRES OF THIS RESIDENCE. YOU ARE INVITED TO A PUBLIC MEETING. INFORMATION IS ENCLOSED. No advertisement or Company identification shall be on the outside of the envelope. d. Telecommunication Facilities in residential areas should be discouraged even when there is screening. e. The Telecommunication Facility setback from residential zones should be greater than the setbacks of the applicable zone. The setback should be at least the height of the tower (??????)
Background As EFCL requested, Executive Committee of Council postponed considering the Policy for Siting Telecommunications Facilities. It has been delayed to October 10, 2012. This gives us time to prepare a response but it does not give us time to get direction from the Board at their next meeting, October 11 th. The major outstanding issue to be decided upon by EFCL is the recommended Telecommunications Facility setback from residential areas. What do you think is reasonable?