North potomac

This massive 57' cell pole installed in 2017 sits just 27' away from a four-story apartment block in Langley Park. It is one of three large cell poles within 900' radius that are placed very near apartments. Current County ordinance requires 60' setbacks from single and duplex residential units, but has just 10' minimum setbacks for cell poles installed on utility poles near apartment buildings. 

Norbeck

Updated: November 4, 2019

Langley Park

This cell pole installed in 2011 along  Norbeck Road was supposed to be on opposite side of street within the utility distribution lines, but was moved. It is one of three cell poles in Norbeck area north of the ICC that were NEVER formally approved for their current sites. 

  

Every cell pole has a story

The cell pole at right above was one of three installed in 2016 in North Potomac without first completing required conditional use hearings. 

Montgomery County Coalition for the Control of Cell Towers

This 68' wireless facility with antennas on Brickyard Road was NEVER formally approved to be here. Readthe story (see page 15) on how on the County allowed this and four other cellpoles in Potomac to be  moved to "adjacent sites" in 2011 without public notice or public input.

Last revised: March 6, 2018

Together, we can speak up for our communities...


MC4T is fighting for fair, transparent and accurate regulation of cell poles and cell towers to minimize adverse impacts to surrounding land uses, respect the harmony and aesthetic character of our communities, and protect the the safety of all residents.

Join us!

  - please attend public Hearing at 7:30PM on Tues. November 19, 2019 -

WE MUST STOP ZTA 19-07!


Councilmember reimer's third attempt in 2 years to make it faster, easier and cheaper for big wireless to install cellpoles very close to your house


We need your help, again - as Mr. Reimer is back with Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 19-07 - yet another bad bill written by and for the benefit of Big Wireless.


Thanks to strong outpouring of opposition by Montgomery County residents in 2016 and 2018 we were able defeat three proposed zoning text amendments (16-05, 18-02* by amendment and 18-11).  Each of these ZTA's would have reduced  cell pole setbacks in residential zones and further eroded  the already insufficient procedural protections for residents. (ZTA 19-07 is actually the fourth attempt on behalf of Big Wireless since 2016 and the third introduced by Councilmember Reimer.)  We will need to work even harder right now to defeat ZTA 19-07.


How can you help defeat ZTA 19-07?

  • Attend the only scheduled public hearing  and voice your strong opposition to ZTA 19-07 at 7:30PM on Tuesday November 19, 2019 at Council Office Building in Rockville. (You may still be able to sign up to testify here.) Regardless, put this on your calendar and please plan to attend!
  • Email and call members of the Council to express your oppostion to 19-07. (It is very important that the four brand new members of the Council (Albornoz, Friedson, Glass and Jawando) who were not  part of prior wireless ZTA reviews hear from residents about our strong disapproval of ZTA 19-07.  


Residents have been pleading for 3 years with the Montgomery County Council to work with us and to work with the County Executive to write comprehensive legislation that truly protects neighborhoods from obtrusive and ugly wireless contraptions in close proximity to homes,  and fix the administrative deficiencies of all current wireless and related ordinances to provide equity, transparency and fairness for residents. (See examples of non-compliant cell poles below.)

ZTA 19-07 does NOT protect residents. It is another retread in a series of bad bills written by and for the exclusive benefit of Big wireless. ZTA 19-07 must be stopped! 


More details and updates will follow.


* Unfortunately residents were not able to defeat ZTA 18-02 in entirety last year which reduced setbacks and removed protections for apartment and condo dwellers in Commercial zones.