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Cellular Antennas OKd on Hillside

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Despite concerns about building on a mostly undeveloped ridge, the Thousand Oaks Planning Commission has approved plans for a cluster of cellular communications antennas on a Newbury Park hillside, saying the project would improve residents’ mobile phone reception.

The four antennas AT&T; Wireless Inc. wants to build would stand near the top of a ridge east of Reino Road. Between 23 and 27 feet tall, the structures would stick out above the ridgeline when viewed from nearby streets.

Several residents objected to placing antennas--and an access road to service them--on one of the community’s beloved ridges. “It seems like we’re constantly violating the ridgelines we’re trying to protect in Thousand Oaks,” Dan Del Campo said at the Monday night meeting. “This would leave another scar on our open space.”

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Although a city ordinance bars new structures that silhouette against the sky above many of the city’s ridgelines, AT&T; Wireless representatives said their antennas need to be near the hilltop in order to work. Cellular phone calls are blocked and garbled by hills, said project manager Clark Harris.

“Cellular’s a line-of-sight technology,” Clark said before the Planning Commission meeting. “It’s like a light bulb in a room. As long as you’re in the room, it works. But when you go outside, it doesn’t.”

Commissioners Linda Parks and Marilyn Carpenter voted against the proposal. The panel’s other three members said that, by improving mobile phone service in the area, the project provided an important benefit to the community.

Newbury Park resident Art Minazzoli agreed. Current cellular service in Newbury Park is poor, he said.

“I can’t use my phone where I live,” he told commissioners. “I have to get in my car and drive up to the freeway.”

Thousand Oaks is not the only Ventura County city trying to decide where to allow the construction of cellular antennas. Simi Valley’s City Council and Planning Commission will hold a combined meeting at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the issue at City Council chambers.

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