WESTWOOD : Plans for Phone Tower Near School Derailed
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A cellular phone company’s plans to build a 60-foot relay tower in front of a church-run preschool has been derailed.
The Los Angeles Planning Department denied the request after Westwood Presbyterian Church officials tried to back out of a deal with AirTouch Cellular to allow the tower to be built on their property in the 10000 block of Wilshire Boulevard.
Parents and neighbors had objected to the proposal, arguing that microwave transmissions from the proposed tower could pose a health risk to the preschool’s 90 children and nearby residents. AirTouch officials denied any health risk.
Los Angeles zoning administrator Jon Perica said he turned down the request because church officials had changed their minds. “The owners didn’t want the tower on their property,” he said.
Church officials declined to comment, saying they had not received word on the city’s decision.
Phone company representatives declined to say whether they would fight the decision. The company has 15 days to file an appeal.
Parents and residents, however, were ecstatic.
“It’s wonderful news for the children of our community,” said Laura Lake of Friends of Westwood, a community group that helped parents organize against the proposal.
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