Hermosa Beach neighbors protest against Five Corners cell tower

Five Corners neighbors contend they didn’t receive notice about the cell tower built atop Quality Cleaners. Photo by Kevin Cody

by Kevin Cody

Over the past three decades, Verizon Wireless engineer William Desmond has found locations for over 18,000 cell towers in 33 states.

Among all of those projects, finding a location for a cell tower to address service gaps in north Hermosa has been among the most difficult, he told the Hermosa Beach Planning Commission at its June 15, 2021 meeting. 

Desmond spent seven years on the Hermosa project, and rejected 15 locations, he said, before finally settling on the rooftop of Quality Cleaners, at the corner of Manhattan Avenue and Greenwich Village (commonly known as Five Corners).

“Hermosa Beach is notorious for horrible cell phone service, across all carriers, Verizon included,” he said, despite the city already having 11 cell towers.

The reason for the poor reception is Hermosa’s hilly topography and high cell phone usage due to its population density, Desmond explained.

Desmond appeared before the commission to request approval to install the Quality Cleaners cell tower.

After a lengthy discussion, centered largely on the aesthetics of the proposed 11-foot tall box that was to enclose the antennas, the commission approved the proposal on a three to one vote. Commissioner David Pedersen voted no because he wanted to review the alternate locations, which were not listed in the city staff report. Chairperson Marie Rice recused herself because she lives within 500 feet of the cleaners.

One resident spoke in opposition to the cell tower because he feared its radiation would be harmful to neighbors.

Desmond responded that the proposed cell tower was “in conformity with Federal Trade Commission limits.”

He also reminded the commission that “the FTC holds sole jurisdiction over determination of permissible exposure related to electromagnetic energy. That is beyond local jurisdiction purview.”

Last month, after learning from workers at the cleaners that the rooftop structure they were building is a cell tower enclosure, a group of Five Corner neighbors appeared before the city council to ask the work be stopped. 

Mike Winn, who bought a home across the street from the cleaners two years ago, said he would not have bought his house had he known it would be across the street from a cell tower. He said he had talked to over 60 neighbors, and none recalled receiving a notice of the June 2022 planning commission hearing.

The City was required to notify residents living within 500 feet of the proposed cell tower that the project would be reviewed at the June 15, 2022 planning commission meeting.

Realtor Lynn Pope, who also lives near Five Corners, also said she was not notified, nor were any of the neighbors she had talked to. She added that cell towers hurt property values.

In July 2015, the planning commission rejected an AT&T request to install a cell tower next to the Kiwanis Hall in Valley Park after dozens of residents similarly complained about inadequate public noticing, and about fear of radiation exposure. The planning commission based its rejection on the need to preserve the park’s open space.

Community Development Director Carrie Tai, who joined the city after the June 22 Planning Commission meeting, responded to the complaints by showing the council a photograph of the dayglo orange hearing sign posted in the cleaners window, and showing a notarized statement from the city’s mailing service stating residents had been mailed notices of the meeting.

Tai said the cell tower has not yet received its final building approval.

After unsuccessful requests at three successive council meetings that work be stopped on the cell tower, Winn said he and his neighbors will pursue legal action to stop the work. ER

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