Governor vetoes cell tower proposal

A bill to strip county and city governments from regulating new wireless cellphone equipment in public rights of way and on commercial and industrial land received a veto from Gov. Jerry Brown.

Ramona Community Planning Group, San Diego County and other affected agencies opposed the measure.

In addition to establishing a uniform permitting process for small cell wireless equipment, Senate Bill 649 would have fixed the rates cities and counties could charge to place the equipment on property they owned such as streetlights and traffic signal posts.

“There is something of real value in having a process that results in extending this innovative technology rapidly and efficiently. Nevertheless, I believe that the interest which localities have in managing rights of way requires a more balanced solution than the one achieved in this bill,” Brown wrote in his Oct. 15 explanation of the veto.

Authored by Sen. Ben Hueso (D-San Diego), SB 649 passed the state Senate and Assembly.