Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cell Towers topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident raises alarm about cell tower near Lakeridge High; board asks administration to place review on next agenda
Summary
A resident told the board the district had leased property for a cell tower near Lakeridge High School; the board asked administration to schedule a comprehensive review of agreements with wireless providers and discussed sponsoring an independent review of emissions at the site.
Ben Adams, a resident who identified himself during the public-comment portion, told the Lake Oswego SD 7J Board that a newly installed cell tower near Lakeridge High School is completed and “ready to turn it on,” and urged the district to seek a way to have the lease with Crown Castle and Verizon rescinded or renegotiated.
Adams said the tower sits close to homes and called it inappropriate for residential areas: “This is the kind of thing we see near freeways, not in homes and residential areas,” he said. He asked the district to “use your business skills to negotiate your way out” of the lease if possible, and said community members could assist.
Following public comment, Director Brian Bills asked the board to place a comprehensive review of the district’s practice of entering into agreements with cellular service providers on a future agenda, saying the board should better understand regulatory, health and safety implications before considering future agreements or extensions. The board agreed to return the issue to a future meeting; administration said it could put the item on the September 8 agenda.
Another board member suggested the district consider sponsoring an independent reading or review at the location identified by the complainants to better understand any health or safety concerns; the board said it would discuss the scope of any independent work at the future meeting. The transcript does not record a formal vote on this planning request.
The board did not adopt any immediate changes to existing agreements during the meeting. Members emphasized the item would return for fuller discussion and possibly additional studies or inquiries, and that Director Kirsten Aird’s presence for that discussion would be helpful.
The transcript includes written testimony referenced from Kitty Yan about student technology device protection (separate agenda item) and from Ben and Anna Lee Adams regarding the cell tower near Lakeridge High School.
