[Durham INC] HB 664 telecom override of local govt.

[Donna Rudolph]

HB 664's Hearing, attended Wed. by 3 members of INC, was postponed.  This
"Cell Tower Deployment Act" is an assault on local government on behalf of
the telecommunications industry.  HB 664 overrides local aesthetic and
safety standards to achieve "substantial modification" of existing cell
towers so they carry higher and wider loads of equipment (antennas, 20ft.
horizontal protuberances, etc).  Further, a city/county "shall approve any
application for collocation" -the addition of equipment to an existing
structure not defined as a substantial alteration; this change demands an
approval decision in just 45 days, while a tower company itself gets not
less than 24 months to raise a structure!  Both tiers of expansion appear to
be exempt from standards imposed in the original support structure's
approval.  Finally, the common practice of local governments having a 3rd
party expert review a telecom company's solicitation is obstructed by the
approval time-clock and an unrealistic cap on applicant permit fees.  What
justifies this  abridgement of local government's mandate to protect the
safety and welfare of its citizens?   HB 664 says it's "to further public
safety and the general welfare" by "improving emergency communication for
first responders..pursuant to Section 6409 of the federal Middle Class Tax
Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012."  Watch for an alert to ask Durham's
legislative representatives to rework or condemn this astonishingly biased
legislation.     

 

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