LAGUNA BEACH : Setback for School Tower Opponents

Parents who have fought for 18 months to have a microwave tower removed from the grounds of an elementary school lost a round Wednesday night when the California Coastal Commission refused to revoke a permit that allowed the tower to be erected in 1993.

United as PEST, Parents for the Elimination of the Schoolyard Tower, the parents had argued that PacTel Cellular, now AirTouch Cellular, had not followed the proper notification requirements before erecting the 90-foot-tower at El Morro Elementary School.

The parents have contended that the tower, which allows cellular telephones to operate in the area, could pose a health risk. AirTouch representatives say the equipment is not dangerous.

The Coastal Commission’s staff agreed with the parents about the notification requirements and recommended that the permit be revoked.

However, partly because of the lapse of time between when the permit was granted and when the revocation was requested, the commissioners voted 9 to 2 against the parents.

David Carroll, who has two sons at the school, said the parents are now banking on a lawsuit the school district has filed against AirTouch Cellular to have the tower removed.

The school district signed a 10-year contract with PacTel Cellular in October, 1992, that allows the company to rent the school district parcel for $18,556 per year. After heavy lobbying by parents, the district decided recently to sue AirTouch Cellular to have the tower removed.

AirTouch has since stepped up its campaign to keep the tower in place, mailing letters to customers warning that if it is removed they will be unable to use cellular telephones between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach.

“That facility provides a very vital communications link to Laguna Beach,” spokeswoman Melissa May said Thursday. “And it becomes even more important when emergencies occur.”