Encinitas plans to amend its controversial 5G wireless policy and add new restrictions on antenna placement in response to organized lobbying from opponents.
“I think a lot of your feedback is reflected in what we’re presenting tonight,” Assemblyman Tony Krantz said Wednesday, when Congress debates several amendments. told the opposition.
Krantz said he likes wireless communication and has Wi-Fi throughout his house, but he understands that some people are very sensitive to radio frequencies, and he doesn’t want to install the antenna closer to his home. He added that they should have a choice.
Other city councilors praised the actions of the audience that night, saying they acted with restraint despite passionately opposing the installation of 5G antennas near their homes and children’s schools. did.
Councilwoman Kelly Shea Hinze thanked people for their civility, saying it “makes me feel like the public process is working.”
Meanwhile, many members of the “Stop 5G Encinitas” group told the council they want these new amendments to be the first of many and urge city leaders to work with attorneys on the issue. I asked him to continue.
“We need more changes,” Encinitas resident Corinne Schreiner told the council, noting the group’s attorneys have proposed 26 amendments.
The amendments that Parliament unanimously agreed to on Wednesday include banning the installation of 5G antennas in residential areas, parkland and “very high” fire danger areas. It also cannot be located within 500 feet of a day care center, school, or non-residential residence.
However, wireless antenna companies may seek exemptions from these requirements. If a business requests such an exemption, the city’s Planning Director will decide whether to grant the request, and if granted, the director’s decision can be appealed to the City Council.
The council originally issued an “emergency” policy for 5G in August following a recent ruling by the Federal Communications Commission that ordered local governments to eliminate all regulatory barriers and accelerate the transition to new technology. It was adopted.
Touted as the next big thing in wireless communications, 5G technology is expected to revolutionize the industry, offering faster download speeds for large files and significantly increasing the number of devices that can be used in one location. Masu. But because this new technology involves installing many small antennas close to the ground, often on street light poles, people are concerned about both health risks and visual impairment.
At Wednesday’s public hearing and a workshop hosted by the city last month, 5G opponents said they believe the new technology’s health risks have not been adequately researched and pointed to moves to ban 5G systems around the world. did.
Encinitas 5G opponents want “the most protective ordinance” the city can enact, city resident Lindsey Richards told the City Council. She said she thinks the city is on the right track with the proposed amendment banning 5G antennas within 500 feet of elementary schools, but wondered why middle schools and high schools were not included.
“Why don’t we protect all our children?” she asked.
Council members then asked Robert “Trip” May, an attorney with the Telecom law firm hired by the city, why older children were being excluded. May said she thinks the word “elementary” refers to kindergarten through 12th grade. Told that wasn’t the case, he said Congress could remove the word “primary” so the restriction applied to schools in general.