Panel Rejects Plan for Cell Phone Antennas

With the city in the midst of drawing up guidelines for cellular phone antenna projects, the Thousand Oaks Planning Commission has rejected a proposal by AT&T; and Pacific Bell to build a wireless telecommunications facility near the Moorpark Freeway.

Representatives of the two companies argued that the hillside communications site near Meadows Reservoir would improve service for cellular phone users who have to deal with “dead spots” in some parts of Thousand Oaks.

The proposal called for 16 panel antennas about 14 feet high to be built, along with other radio equipment, said Lane Tank, a Santa Barbara-based consultant to AT&T.; Company representatives said such steps as planting trees at the site and painting the antennas a camouflage design would be taken to ease aesthetic concerns.

But after hearing nearly 20 residents raise concerns about the project--from criticism of its appearance to charges that the antennas might emit harmful radiation--the commission nixed the proposal after a more than four-hour hearing Monday night.

Commissioners appeared swayed by complaints that the project would place an eyesore among the city’s rolling hillsides. But they emphasized that they are wary of authorizing the project while the city is trying to come up with guidelines for cellular antennas.

The City Council placed a moratorium on cellular antennas last November, so that officials can devise rules to deal with the fast-growing business’ impact on Thousand Oaks.

Even though the joint proposal from AT&T; and Pacific Bell was exempt from the moratorium because it was submitted before last November, Planning Commissioner Dave Anderson said, “I’d be afraid to get out in front of our policy-makers, our elected officials.”

Commissioners Anderson, Marilyn Carpenter and Ronald Polanski voted against the cellular antenna project; Forrest Frields and John Powers favored it.