1) Please deny or defer the permit because the tower will adversely impact the community's character and surrounding properties.
2) Require proof of gaps in coverage by providing records of dropped calls. Please demand hard data. They can produce records of dropped calls with the click of a mouse. We need evidence of lack of coverage. None was provided with this permit application. We cannot just take their word for it. They must prove that this tower is needed. Please
require evidence.
3) Please reduce the number of antennas and radio heads, because 12 antennas and 36 radio heads is way too much, especially for a fake pine tree tower! There is no way all of that can be camouflaged to blend in with the surroundings. The tower will have an adverse visual impact. Trees in that area are not 105 feet tall. It will stick out like a sore thumb. It will cause adverse impact to
the community's character.
4) This proposed permit allows new antennas to be added later. Please do not allow that. Do not allow co-location beyond what is specified in the permit. We don't want that tower to have all kinds of stuff hanging off of it down the road in the future. It will dominate the landscape and turn into a massive, ugly eye sore. The proposed permit already allows for 12 antennas and 36 radio
heads. Enough already! That number needs to be drastically reduced and no more allowed after that. It will cause adverse impact to the community's character.
5) Require third party inspections of radiation emissions done every quarter with certified reports submitted to the county. Unfortunately telecommunications companies have proven themselves untrustworthy. According to US attorney Andrew Campanelli, telecommunications tower emissions that have been tested routinely emit over the FCC limits. The FCC sets the limits but they do not test or enforce them. No one is
policing the telecommunications corporations. We need regular and ongoing emission verification by a third party. Local governments are our only line of defense against us being exposed to illegally excessive levels of radiation. (The focus here is on testing the emissions and making sure they are within FCC limits. I am not talking about health effects.)
6) Please make proof of insurance required and the policy must be must NOT exclude personal injury or damage liability from exposure to radiation. The policy must be issued by an “A” rated company, cover named applicant and each antenna operator, be “claims made,” list the County as an additional insured, and have coverage limits of at least $2 million per person
and $25 million per incident. The policy must not exclude personal injury or damage liability from exposure to radiation. This latter requirement is necessary since most general liability policies typically have pollution exclusions that also apply to environmental contamination such as RF/EMF radiation. An addendum or rider is typically necessary. The permittee must supply proof of insurance before the permit is issued. (The focus here is on requiring specific insurance. I am not talking about
health effects.)
7) Protect cultural resources. Require a cultural archeologist to survey the area beforehand and turn in results to planning for approval prior to any activity on that land. There may be human skeletal remains, structural remains ( i.e., rock walls, terraces, platforms, etc.), cultural deposits, marine shell concentrations, sand deposits, and these need to be protected.
8) Prevent Rapid Ohi’i Death. Require survey results to be turned over to planing and approved prior to any tree cutting. The proposed permit already requires the area to be surveyed. We are asking for the results to be turned in and approved by planning beforehand.
9) Don't let the lawsuit scare you. When the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was being drafted, the telecom industry lobbied hard to restrict local authority, however, congress did the opposite. Section 47 USC 332 C 7a clearly states that local governments have the power to regulate the placement of wireless facilities. It is of utmost importance that you do please regulate these
towers because, although the FCC sets exposure limits, they do nothing to enforce those limits. The county is obligated to protect its citizens and ensure the quiet enjoyment of our streets and neighborhoods. If you regulate and even if you violate telecom act and telecom sues you, and even if you lose, county does not have to pay them a penny. They get no damages or attorney fees. They only get the permit.
10) Reduce the time allowed for building this tower. This proposed permit is for 5 years. That's too long. The permit should be valid for two years, maximum. It doesn't take that long to put up a fake pine tree tower.
12) There is a very real danger of collapse, and the potential to cause harm (such as property damage, and personal injury or death) to anyone who might be unlucky enough to be near this tower if it fails.
13) This huge facility is too close to public spaces with nearby homes, and a community center building where people gather. People could be injured if the the structure fails and components (such as baseplates, flanges, joints, bolts or guy wires) are blown off by high winds. The tower will be materially detrimental to the public welfare.
14) Noise pollution is a factor. Excessive noise from cooling the ancillary equipment (up to 28 cubic feet for each antenna) would disturb the quiet enjoyment of our streets in this neighborhood.
15) In this area of Paradise Park there is not sufficient fall zone for a tower of this massive size. It's over a hundred feet tall. If the tower falls down, which has happened, people could be seriously hurt or killed.
16) Cell towers have been known to catch fire. A quick search of YouTube will show multiple videos of cell tower fires.
17) There are other alternative locations available that are less intrusive.
Can email comments NOW: [email protected].
Deadline for email: 4:30pm, Tuesday, September 29th.
Please consider both online attendance and written testimony in advance.
Join the Hawaii Windward Planning Commission meeting at 9:00 am and testify Thursday, October 1st either online or by phone.
To attend, email Rachelle Ley [email protected] or call 808-961-8125, to register by 4pm Wednesday deadline.
Testimony will be taken after each agenda item is introduced. This is the third item. The meeting starts at 9:00 am but we cannot predict the timing! You can email and ask Rachelle to call/text/email when your time to testify is nearing.
You will have 3 minutes to speak! Prepare your comments, please! Remember, NO testimony about the health/environmental effects from tower radiation, please!
See the agenda here: http://records.hawaiicounty.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?dbid=1&id=108210&page=1&cr=1
More info here: https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/554/228?curm=10&cury=2020
Mahalo for all you do! Together, we are stronger!