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Milpitas residents urge council to regulate ‘mini’ cell towers near homes
Summary
Residents at the Milpitas City Council public forum pressed the city to regulate small-cell wireless installations near residences, citing safety and proximity concerns; acting city manager said staff will provide an information memo to council in the coming days.
Milpitas — Dozens of residents have raised concerns to the City Council about the placement of small-cell wireless equipment near homes and asked the city to pursue regulation or relocation.
At the public forum, resident Andres Mio said he had previously asked the council in November to regulate a mini cell tower installed near his neighborhood and expressed worries about long-term exposure and the structural stability of the light-weight poles. "From what I've seen, these cell towers are mounted on very tiny, skinny, light posts that could fall down and injure someone," he said.
Other speakers relayed similar concerns. Alex Lee said nearly 100 families share serious concerns and asked the council to negotiate with the installer (referred to in remarks as "Chromecast") to find a relocation or mitigation solution. Kaveri said she has repeatedly requested since November that the city adopt an ordinance similar to other cities to move installations farther from houses and asked for a public Q&A rather than private phone calls.
Acting City Manager Jared Hernandez responded to the public comments, saying staff has done considerable work and that the city will provide a staff information memo to the council in the next few days so members have the full information needed to decide on next steps. "It is being listened to," Hernandez said.
No ordinance or formal council action was taken at the meeting; councilmembers and staff discussed next steps and planned further information-sharing with the public.
