Chilliwack city council will consider eight separate variance applications Tuesday to allow Freedom Mobile (formerly WIND Mobile) to erect cell towers in various locations around the city.
Of the eight, four are planned to be erected on light poles from 14.9 to 26 metres in height. Three are monopoles ranging from 25 to 30 metres tall.
And the largest will be a 35-metre tripole slated for the back of the home plate on a farm property at 6167 Tyson Rd. This will include four wireless antennas, two microwave dishes and four future wireless antennas.
A further 45-metre self support tower on University of the Fraser Valley Lands is “under review based on comments from the public consultation process.”
At Tuesday’s meeting, council will consider the eight development variance permits, which are required because the existing zoning bylaw only allows telecommunications antennas to be attached to existing buildings or structures.
In the case of all eight, a pole or light standard is to be erected for the equipment.
The company plans a total of 18 wireless telecommunication facilities on public and private land across the city.
In a background item provided by Freedom Mobile, the company said it followed the city’s public consultation protocol notifying all property owners within 100 metres of the installation and hosting public open houses.
The company says 190 notifications were sent out and open houses were held in October and November.
“Throughout the eight public open houses, five members of the public attended and three provided comments of support. No other comments were received from the public.”
Most of the proposed sites will be uncontroversial, but there is one slated for a light standard in Fairfield Park near a baseball diamond.
Shawn Hoogstra is a neighbour who thinks the park is the wrong place.
“This is not the place for a cell tower,” Hoogstra told the Progress via email. “Really!?! In a park, one of the crown jewels of the city?”
He said his concern began as one of an eyesore and light pollution from a 26-metre light standard in the park his property backs on to. But he further questions the health impacts of cell towers, especially with Strathcona Elementary so close.
“The negative impact to people’s health (disorders, cancer) due to radiation coming off these towers has been documented and can be found online,” he said.
But while it is true that cell towers emit low-power radiofrequency (RF) energy, Health Canada says the levels from cell towers is small.
“Health concerns are sometimes expressed by people who live or work near cell phone tower antennas located on towers, poles, water tanks or rooftops,” according to Health Canada’s web page on cell towers. “Yet, the consensus of the scientific community is that RF energy from cell phone towers is too low to cause adverse health effects in humans. In fact, RF exposures from cell phone towers are typically well below Health Canada’s exposure standards.”
Other locations for the new antennas include: the parking lot of the Village at Sardis Park shopping plaza; 45910 Rowat Ave. at the back of a commercial property; on Charles Street by the CN railway; 47640 Yale Rd. on a large farm property; and two on Luckakuck Way, one near Topaz Drive and one at Heritage Park.
paul.henderson@theprogress.com
@PeeJayAitch
