Antennas to Be Proposed on Water District Sites

A cellular telephone company will ask the Moulton Niguel Water District on Thursday for permission to install six communications antennas in four South County communities.

Water district officials will vote on whether to allow Cox California Personal Communications Systems Inc. to build the antennas on water district reservoir tanks and sites in Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel.

The reservoirs are located in the Nellie Gail area of Laguna Hills; Sheep Hills area of Aliso Viejo; at separate locations off Alicia Parkway, as well as off La Paz Road in Mission Viejo; and the Bear Brand and Big Bertha areas of Laguna Niguel.

The meeting will take place at 1:30 p.m. in the Moulton Niguel Water District offices at 27500 La Paz Road in Laguna Niguel.

Water district officials are recommending approval. Local city governments also will review the antenna proposals.

City planners have generally been in favor of building microwave antennas at reservoir sites, rather than schoolyards and other locations near neighborhoods.

“Most of our water tank sites in town are located on high ground and are fairly well screened by existing trees,” said Charles Wilson, a Mission Viejo city planner. “Plus, [water tanks] are fairly remote, and that’s why we generally support them.”