North potomac

​​​We needYOU  to ATTEND THE only public Hearing on ZTA 18-11

at Montgomery County Council OFFICE Building in rockville 

September 25, 2018

7:30PM  


What:
The proposed legislation would create two unequal methods of cell pole approvals based on the type of utilities in your neighborhood:

  • allow “small” cell towers on existing poles in legacy neighborhoods with above groundutilities to be installed just 30 feet from a house under "limited use" rules that require no public notice, nopublic input and restricted rights of appeal. [1]
  • allow antennas on existing lamp posts and other poles in neighborhoods with underground utilities that are just 30 feet from a house under "conditional use" rules that requires some public notice and some public input. (But, most neighborhoods with underground utilities have large utility poles on perimeters that are subject to laissez faire "limited use" rules. So, every neighborhood is adversely impacted by ZTA 18-11.)

​ Learn more about ZTA 18-11 here.


When:
The  public hearing is scheduled for 7:30PM on September 25, 2018. 
This will likely be the ONLY opportunity for residents to offer oral testimony and several MC4T members will be speaking.

Why:

  • It is essential that Councilmembers see and hear opposition from residents, and not just platitudes from BIG WIRELESS. 
  • Your attendance and support was critical to our success in saving residential provisions in ZTA 18-02 that was just passed in May, 2018.  (ZTA 18-11 is Big Wireless' second attempt this summer to ram through resident unfriendly zoning rules.)
  • Now, the County Executive is trying, once again, to allow Big Wireless unfettered access to install tall, bulky and obtrusive cell poles inside residential neighborboods!
  • PLEASE COME TO SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORS AND OPPOSE ZTA 18-11.


If passed, ZTA 18-11 will:

  • depress home values
  • create public safety hazards
  • diminish the character of our neighborhoods!


There are no post installation inspection rules. If a cell tower is a hazard there is no administrative process to get it inspected, decertified or removed.

Where:
      County Council Building 
      100 Maryland Avenue - 3rd Floor Hearing Room
      Rockville, MD 20850

​      FREE Parking is available after 6:00PM in the Council Office Building Garage (entrance on E. Jefferson St at Monroe St.)


Please email to let us know you will be attending, so we can keep a running tally.   Our email address is:         controlcelltowers@gmail.com   

We need you to attend to show your opposition to this bad ordinance!


ZTA 18-11 strips out protections for residents and makes it much easier and faster for obtrusive cell towers to be installed in our residential neighborhoods. 

We sincerely appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you on September 25th.

[1] The technical zoning term for allowing this type of installation with no community notice is “limited use.”
​

Revised: September 17, 2018

This 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 sited very near apartments. Current County ordinance requires 60' setbacks from single and duplex residential units, but has NO minimum setbacks for cellpoles installed on utility poles near apartment buildings.

Norbeck

Last revised: March 6, 2018

This 68' pole with antennas on Brickyard Road was NEVER formally approved to be here. Read the 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.

Langley Park


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!

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 requred conditional use hearings. 

Montgomery County Coalition for the Control of Cell Towers