Nevada County delays decision on proposed 129‑ft ‘monopine’ at Dogbar Road after heavy public pushback

The Nevada County Board of Supervisors on July 9 continued, to Aug. 20, a public hearing on a conditional use permit for a 129‑foot “monopine” wireless tower proposed at 20896 Dogbar Road, agreeing to Verizon’s request to toll the federal review deadline until Aug. 22 while the applicant provides additional materials. The board’s 3‑2 vote followed nearly four hours of staff briefings, expert testimony and a large turnout of neighbors who urged denial.

The proposal from site‑acquisition agent Sequoia Deployment Services on behalf of Verizon Wireless would place antennas disguised as branches and a faux trunk inside a 30‑by‑30‑foot fenced lease area and underground electrical and communications trenches. Planning staff and the applicant said the site would fill a measurable coverage and capacity gap identified on carrier maps and empirical “TrueCall” data and that radio‑frequency exposure at ground level would be a fraction of FCC limits: “This site is 0.4% of what the FCC allows,” said David Witkowski, a retained RF reviewer.

Opponents told the board the permit application lacked reliable evidence of need and that visual simulations were misleading. Appellant Kristen Palin said neighbors collected more than 80 signatures opposing the location and argued the tower would loom 40–60 feet above the tree line and sit roughly 100 feet from some homes. “We don’t disagree with cell service — we disagree with irresponsible placement of towers,” Palin said.

Verizon and Sequoia defended their site selection. Pete Shubin, representing Sequoia, said engineers evaluated multiple candidate locations and chose the Dogbar site because it met elevation, utility and access criteria while minimizing exposure. Paul Albritton, Verizon’s outside counsel, told the board the company has a legal obligation to address demonstrated gaps and offered to provide drone photo simulations, additional RF maps and other materials to assist the county’s decision.

Board members pressed both sides on specifics. Planning staff noted the project meets county code siting criteria for camouflage, setbacks and noise mitigation: the proposed backup generator, originally projected to produce 43.8 decibels at the nearest property line, would be restricted to daytime testing and would meet the county’s operating limits. RF engineers explained the difference between single‑frequency coverage maps and capacity data, arguing that mid‑band frequencies used today require denser site spacing to maintain usable service for both residents and highway travelers.

The hearing ended without a final permit decision. A motion to continue the matter — coupled with Verizon’s on‑the‑record pledge to extend the federal ‘shot‑clock’ — passed 3‑2. The board directed Verizon to return with the additional materials and a revised package for the Aug. 20 meeting. The continuation preserves the board’s full review authority while giving staff and the public more time to examine sight‑line simulations, vantage‑point photos and technical evidence.

The matter remains open. If the applicant does not extend the FCC review clock in writing, federal timing requirements could constrain local review; Verizon’s counsel agreed on the record to the extension requested by the board.

What comes next: Verizon said it will prepare drone‑based photo simulations and supplemental RF evidence and expects to return to the board on Aug. 20. Opponents said they will continue to press for alternate siting that moves towers away from residences. For now, the county’s review will resume after the applicant supplements the record.