3 Radio Towers Get Signal of Approval From Supervisors : Environment: Many Santa Ana Mountains residents criticized the project, which will make way for a new Spanish-language radio station.

Despite emotional public opposition to a proposal that one Orange County Supervisor described as “sort of a crummy project,” board members on Wednesday unanimously approved construction of three radio transmitting towers in the Santa Ana Mountains.

Once built, the 306-foot towers will broadcast a new Spanish-language radio station, KSRT-AM.

Wednesday’s action capped a wrenching session of the board in which a dozen residents and environmentalists testified that the towers and diesel generator to power them would ruin the serenity they had sought when they bought property in the area off Black Star Canyon Road near the Riverside County line.

“Recent events have made it hard for me to think clearly,” said Larry Booth, 46, a property owner in the area who has long fought the towers and whose wife died three weeks ago of a heart attack. “My wife’s and my life have been in utter turmoil because of this proposal.”

Booth, who paused and apologized to the board as his voice cracked and he wiped away tears, concluded his remarks by telling the supervisors: “If you approve this project, the American Dream just went to hell for me.”

Other residents expressed strong emotions as well, with some accusing the board of backing the proposal because it would benefit Daniel Villanueva Jr., president of Orange County Broadcasting Co. and the son of a wealthy and well-known Spanish-language television executive. The Villanuevas are well-connected politically, and opponents of the project suggested that the board was showing them favoritism.

Supervisors have flatly rejected that allegation, and although several of them expressed concern about the project Wednesday, ultimately they voted to approve a motion by Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez supporting construction of the towers as long as the operator agrees to 30 conditions.

“Given all of this information, I believe, in my opinion, that the appellants’ concerns have been met,” said Vasquez, whose district includes the proposed radio towers.

In particular, Vasquez cited a condition of the radio towers’ construction that requires the broadcasting company to vacate the site in eight years if any of the nearby property owners builds a home. If no new homes are built near the towers, the company would be able to apply for an extension, but Villanueva told supervisors that he intends to remove the towers regardless.

Supervisors appeared to be reassured by that pledge, which they asked Villanueva to repeat for the official record of Wednesday’s hearing.

Still, Supervisor Roger R. Stanton expressed deep displeasure with the overall proposal and with county staff’s role in guiding it.

“I think this is really, to be blunt, sort of a crummy project that you’ve brought before us,” Stanton told county planning administrators. “If anything like this is brought before this board again . . . I will not vote for it.”

Stanton was particularly irritated at county planning director Tom Mathews. When Stanton asked Mathews if he had determined whether the public benefits from the project were enough to override the concerns of property owners, Mathews responded, “To my knowledge, that was not considered.”

Several members of the audience noted that Orange County, which has a Latino population of about 400,000, already is served by 11 Spanish-language radio stations.

Despite his reservations, Stanton said he voted for this proposal partly out of “personal respect and regard” for Vasquez. Supervisors traditionally adhere to the recommendation of the board member whose district is most affected by a proposal.

Proposed Towers Proposed Site of Three Anteeennas for Radio Station