Stop The Cell Tower in New Territory!

The pictures provided do not accurately reflect the position of the houses surrounding the location.  There are now houses (in Telfair) along the back side of this location.  Also, there are houses (in New Territory) that are across the street from this location.   There isn't that much room.  It's just that T-Mobile does not want you to see the scale of this antenna next to the houses.  As one poster indicated - they are playing tricks with perspective. 

To read about how T-Mobile uses these tricks to make the tower seem smaller, visit the following site.  The photos and the methods used to play with perspective are on page 3 of the report.  http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0ByYEdWweaHRLNTNmMTU2MWYtZDRmNi00ZGUzLTliNzUtMzNiMzQyMzIxOTJk&hl=en.

I have several concerns about this.

First, it will have a negative impact on housing values in the immediate area. Everyone thinks it's a great idea for revenue, but I don't want it in my backyard!  Is it worth the declining property values?

Second, it is 120 feet tall, that is 12 stories high!  You can't tell me that no one will notice it.

Third, are the health concerns.  The long term affects on our health are unknown.  Just Google T-mobile cell tower dangers, and you'll find a slew of conflicting reports.

Fourth, the board is considering placing security cameras on the tower as well.  That really irritates me.  We don't need "Big Brother" looking into our yards, and what if a predator hacks into it?  I have soon-to-be teenagers, and don't want a peeping Tom staring at my daughter and her friends in the swimming pool.

As I have driven around in the area, I have noticed that there is a monopole bordering Chelsea Harbour.  If you want to see how this pole is going to look, all you have to do is drive out Gateway Boulevard and look straight ahead.  There is a huge pole there.  Drive over to Chelsea Harbour and you can get a good idea of how much higher the pole is than the houses it is near - the drawings being provided don't accurately reflect the height of the pole next to the houses.  I have also noticed that there are always things mounted on the outside of these poles... (i.e. other antenna arrays, dishes, etc.) and they are unsightly and unattractive. 

I agree with Jagi regarding how this pole will negatively affect homes around it.  I don't think it will be attractive and it will hurt some homeowners' property values.  I would not want to purchase a home with this pole visible from the backyard.  Even if you believe there are no health risks from these poles, why take a chance with your loved ones?

I understand the monetary gain the pole would bring, however, I don't think that any amount of money is worth compromising the beauty of our neighborhood, the value of our homes, or the health of our family members.  I hope the Board will vote this down and let the cell carriers know that New Territory is not the place for these monopoles.

See the link above (Cell Tower Property Values) for a property value study done in the Houston area by an independent contractor to reflect any changes to property values.  We are also expecting to get a study done in this area specifically concerning health concerns, for those that are interested. 

The following discussion, provided by T-Mobile, provides information on radio waves.  They have had a study done on this very issue, and there is now a link to a study done on health issues, specifically the effects of radiofrequency, for New Territory.. 

Additional links are provided below for any who want to do additional research.

Cellular networks operate using radio waves, much like radio and television broadcasters, but at lower power levels. RF emissions have been used safely in the United States for more than 160 years, and are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

T-Mobile antennas operate well within national safety guidelines established by the federal government. Measurements made near typical T-Mobile installations like the proposed pole have shown that ground-level RF exposures are typically thousands of times less than the FCC's limits for safe exposure.

These safety limits were adopted by the FCC based on the recommendations of expert organizations and endorsed by agencies of the federal government responsible for health and safety. The wireless industry is closely regulated by the FCC — which sets very conservative, science-based RF emission guidelines, based upon the consensus of the international scientific community.

§         “There is no convincing evidence that adverse effects can occur as a result of exposure within the current protection guidelines. The views of the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) form part of this consensus.”    source:  NRPB 2000- Report No. NRPB-R321

§         “In our view, a consistent picture has emerged from these studies that appears to rule out, with a reasonable degree of certainty, a causal association between cellular telephones and cancer to date.”    source:  Swedish Radiation Protection Authority 2002

• “The chance of health problems occurring among people living and working below base stations as a result of exposure to electromagnetic fields originating from the antennas is, in the committee’s opinion, negligible…”   source:  Health Council of the Netherlands on GSM Base Stations, 2000

Here are some helpful links...

Reputable scientific resources regarding RF health and safety:

American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_1_3X_Cellular_Phone_Towers.asp?sitearea=WHO

World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs304/en/

World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/peh-emf/meetings/base_stations_june05/en/index.html

Federal Communications Commission (FCC): http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_Technology/Documents/bulletins/oet56/oet56e4.pdf

NCRP: http://www.ncrponline.org/Publications/Comm18press.html

Other Helpful Links:

For answers to frequently asked questions: http://www.t-mobile-takeaction.com/aboutwireless.html

Regarding your comments about the pole in Chelsea Harbour, I checked with the T-Mobile rep, who provided the following points to consider: 

• The proposed pole will have no externally-mounted antennae, so it will not look like the pole mentioned, which will be painted brown or white and will have internally-mounted hidden antennae. That pole is also out in the open, instead of surrounded by numerous trees that make it unseen from most vantage points like our proposed site
• The existing pole referred to is 150' tall.  Our proposed pole height is 120' tall at most.
• Most importantly, T-Mobile has its antennae installed on this tower in Chelsea Harbour, which is one of the closest towers to New Territory. Actually, T-Mobile has its antennas installed on every tower surrounding New Territory, yet we still cannot provide adequate coverage to the residents of New Territory. The statement that "New Territory is not the place for these monopoles" is curious, since the residents of New Territory want and demand coverage in New Territory - wherever they live, work or play (which they are demanding), then there has to be a pole of some kind in New Territory, because we have done everything we can short of building in New Territory. These sites are very expensive to build. T-Mobile would not be considering this kind of investment if our customers in New Territory were not demanding and using our service.

New Territory is a large master-planned community, taking up a large geographic area. It is simply not possible to cover all of New Territory from outside of New Territory. The reality is that we are very swiftly shifting from a wired world to a wireless world. Land lines are becoming a thing of the past. Home buyers and corporate executives are making decisions about residential and commercial real estate based in part upon the quality of wireless infrastructure that is present in a given property or area. Home buyers are checking to see how many bars they have on their cell phones when they look at homes, and whether or not that little "3G" indicator is lit up or not. The majority of 911 calls are made from a wireless phone. This is not only a matter of convenience but also of public safety. 

Thank you, Susan, for your information. 

I do think it is important to note that the property value survey that was done was prepared by an outside firm...on behalf of T-Mobile.  I would trust the survey more if it had been done by an entity such as the Houston Association of Realtors or some other firm not directly connected with placing towers in residential neighborhoods.

Susan, I thank you for your response. I can clearly see that T-Mobile has and continues to supply you and the board with documentation and links along with 'artist’s renderings' that counters various points that are being brought up by the residents.

Please remember that all of us as New Territory residents are the ones who are going to have to live with this. OurOur property values are going to be negatively impacted. Nan makes a good point that studies  being reported are furnished by T-Mobile. Hardly an unbiased source.
Since you brought up the point of the tower in Chelsea Harbor, a thirty foot difference in height is still going to make it visible from far away. It is unsightly looking at it from Hwy. 90 and it is at least about half a mile away. The proposed site in New Territory for the cell tower is off Homeward Way right between us and Telfair. Every walker and jogger can see the site for themselves the next time you cross the water tanks on Homeward Way. Even with the mentioned trees you will be able to see it from most of Blakely Bend, Robinsons Landing, Stone Creek, Lake Point and all the way from Pecan Park, etc. and numerous other areas in New Territory. You can be sure that it is going to impact property values. You can color it brown, white, etc. but it will still be an eyesore right in the middle of a residential community.
You are telling us that T-Mobile has antennas on every tower surrounding New Territory. If I am correct this means at least 4 - 5 towers (locations are on the web) in pretty much all directions within a radius of about 2-3 miles. If that cannot provide adequate coverage at this time in this area, I don't know what will. How many areas in town have that kind of an antenna spread for the different cell carriers? Plus it would be real interesting to find out if T-mobile can give us documentation of New Territory residents who have complained to them of coverage problems. My wife has T-Mobile service (absolutely provable) and she has coverage with all the 'bars' in our very own house, right now, which is going to be less than 100 feet from the proposed site.
You have reported that T-Mobile is going to pay $1500 a month to the NTRCA. That equates to about $4 per homeowner in New Territory (if you ever decide to reduce annual dues). That does not seem to be reason enough to spoil New Territory and its home values. What is?
Jagi families are going to be affected if/when these radio emissions will be proven at a later date to have serious health consequences.

xxxxxx - thank you for your comments.  I am not trying to pursuade residents that the cell tower is a good thing.  My responsibility is to provide information, so that the residents can make up their own minds.  The Board will be the one to decide whether to pursue the cell tower or not.  I will be providing them with all the comments from the community on March 15.  Again, thank you for staying on top of the information that is being provided. 

I currently have T-Mobile as my cell phone provider and have never experienced the issues brought up by the representative from T-Mobile. I really never have any dropped calls while inside my home. I live on the west end of New Territory. The tower would not be directly in my line of sight much less in my backyard however, I would venture to say that A.T.T., Verizon or any other carrier my want to add an additional tower on the west side of 99 in the future.

Why can’t T-Mobile enter into an agreement with the State of Texas and place the tower just across Hwy. 90 on prison property. Lord knows the state could use the extra revenue.

One other note. Are any board members living with in the shadows of this proposed tower?

If you go to T-Mobile's internet site...you can check coverage for an area.  When I put in my New Territory address, their site shows I have the "BEST" coverage T-Mobile offers.

To do it for yourself, go to http://www.t-mobile.com.

The T-Mobile representative needs to provide some concrete information regarding the fact that folks inside New Territory are complaining about their service.  It doesn't seem like anyone on this page is having any trouble, and once again, this information is coming from the representative of a company wanting to put up a tower.  Can information be provided on what percentage of New Territory residents actually have service with T-Mobile, vs. ATT/Verizon? 

The tower we are discussing is 120' tall, and that means that roughly 75% (90 feet) of the tower cannot be covered by fencing, landscaping, trees or paint.

Susan, could you please ask for some clarification (in writing) about:

1.  Add-ons to the tower?  Specifically, where equipment for other companies is placed after the initial installation of the tower?  Is additional equipment placed inside the tower, or must it be placed outside of the tower? 

2.  Demolition of the tower - if the tower is no longer used by T-mobile (due to lease expiration or changes in technology), who pays to take it down - New Territory or T-Mobile? Will New Territory residents incur the expense of removing the tower down the line?

Thanks.

1.       Why is this tower being  proposed for the far east side of New Territory?  In fact, it is on the border with Telfair.  If the coverage for T-mobile is so bad in New Territory, then it would be much more logical to place it in a more central location – perhaps along Hwy 99.  I think they are proposing this location because they really want to cover Telfair.  It is difficult to put towers in Telfair because the landing approach to the Sugar Land Airport runs through Telfair.  The T-mobile site shows that we have very good coverage.

2.       I do not have the facts to prove this, but I have to believe that AT&T and Verizon lead T-mobile in market share for our area by a significant margin.  Where are the other carriers’ towers?  Do they have coverage issues?  If they do, are we going to put up 2, 3, 4 or more towers in our neighborhoods to resolve this issue?  If we put in a T-mobile tower are we creating a future “equal access” issue with these other carriers?

3.       I realize that the economic times are tough,  but $4 per household per year?  You cannot eat a single meal consisting of a hamburger, fries and a coke for this amount of money.  I realize that a bunch of small cost savings add up, but the tradeoff here is too great.  Are we really that desperate that we are willing to sacrifice the aesthetics of our neighborhood for such trivial compensation?

4.       I do not believe that there are significantly more complaints regarding the quality of service for T-mobile in New Territory relative to the other carries.  Their own site indicates that New  Territory has excellent coverage.  They cannot have it both ways.

5.       Cell phone technology is continuing to evolve at a rapid pace.  As it does it is very possible that many of these towers will become obsolete and abandoned.  They will need to be removed.  Building these towers can cost well over $150,000.  What is the cost to dismantle and remove the tower?  Who will pay those costs?

6.       What happens if T-mobile wants to sell the tower?  What are our rights in this situation?  The cellular operators build thousands of towers per year and negotiate contracts for almost all of them.  They are very good at this and know all the tricks.  If for some reason we absolutely have to do this, have we engaged any professional help to insure we get the best deal and more importantly that we understand all of the terms?  According to some sources T-mobile has been using some third party companies to renegotiate contracts.  Some of their tactics seem to be very questionable.  Read more at http://www.steelintheair.com/TMobile-Cell-Tower-Lease-Renegotiations.html.

7.       I am personally very concerned about how far this has proceeded before anyone outside of the board became aware of it.  This is a proposal that significantly affects the quality of our neighborhood and is completely inconsistent with the other aesthetic aspects of our neighborhood.  We spend very large sums of money on landscaping, parks, the club, entrances and many other areas.  And, we going to put a 120 foot tall tower that is 4 feet in diameter at the base and 2 feet in diameter at the top right next to our homes?  So that T-mobile can cover Telfair or claim better coverage in order to up its market share in our community?  All for $4/household/year?  The cost of a Happy Meal?  Really? 

8.       We do not need to sell our souls for the price of one happy meal per family per year.  This is not rational.

"The residents should have been informed (either through the Association or through the reps) about such an important issue as the planned building of a 120 ft tall cell tower in the middle of NT in a much more open and informative manner. Not doing so invites speculations about the secrecy of the discussions !

Do we really know which area in NT complained a lot about dropped phone calls?

ATT customers do not seem to have this problems and there are probably more of them living in NT.

We think an independent company – not one contracted through T-Mobile, should have done the research about the impact of a cell tower on the value of houses and potential environmental impact.

And “should” T-Mobile get the go-ahead to erect a cell tower, who controls what happens to it after it is being built? What, if more antennae are needed or other companies want to attach to it some piece of their technology? Does NT have the right to veto or be reimbursed an additional fee?"

xxxxxx + xxxxxx

To answer your questions, all equipment for the cell tower will either be on the ground, inside of a fence, or inside the tower.  There will NOT be any antennas hanging from the tower.  T-Moibile has stated that if they opt not to use the tower for some reason, they will take it down.  I asked that they put that in the contract, and will check when i get a copy of their proposed contract to be sure it is there.

I am attaching a map which shows where T-Mobile is getting the complaints from in New Territory for lack of coverage.  The light green areas are where the coverage is lacking.

Map showing coverage issues

I will be trying to answer everyone's questions over the next couple of days.  Thanks -

To all New Territory Residents: The decision that is going to be made and the process that was followed by the NTRCA board for the Cell Tower is going to affect every resident of New Territory. Today the proposal is to build this near Blakely Bend, Robinsons Landing and Stone Creek. Tomorrow there may be a proposal to act on something which will affect the vicinity of your home. Please come to the meeting at 7 pm at the club on 3/15/10 to voice your opinion and to make sure that every resident is informed well in advance about any future proposal (as big as a cell phone tower), that could affect the property values and living conditions of every resident and their families in New Territory.
Jagi

Pros:  1. Improved cell phone & internet reception.  Does anyone remeber how difficult it was to get reception after Ike?  This alone makes it worth it for me.
2.  Increased parks & rec budget for NT.  I am interested in seeing frisbee golf & boccee added and the swingsets at the parks serviced more frequently.
3. May improve property value as consumers demand improved reception.

Cons: 1.Unsightly, though many people have wrongly stated that 120 is 12 stories (most NT homes are 40-50ft including 1-2 ft concrete subfloor, 10-13 ft first story, 1-2 ft 2nd floor subfloor, 10-15 ft 2nd story, 3-8 ft attic/crawl space) 120 ft is pretty darn tall.  Indeed most cell towers exceed 120 ft, who is going to check if it is really only 120 feet.  Also, in my own research, I found that cell towers are often place on top of other existing structures, such as water tanks.  Is this tower a total of 120 ft above ground, or possibly 120 ft tall, extending from some taller structure?
2. Cell towers may pose a health risk.  Although much research (and common sense regarding radiation) has shown that radio waves do not cause cancer, there are many people that find this hard to believe.  This is how it is common sense:  As wavelength increases, there is a reduced risk for cancer.  Radio waves (which cell phone towers are) are longer wave

As a neighbhorhood rep, I am both encouraged by the number of responses to this posting (yea!  you're getting involved!) and disappointed by the tone of some of the comments.  I understand that this is a very personal and sensitive topic for many people.  As such, I read these responses with great interest and concern.  However, I feel that the NTRCA board and management are giving the community a fair opportunity to speak out about this and many other topics.  Do you attend any of the meetings?  Are you on your rep's email list?  Do you read the meeting minutes that are posted every month?  I know you count on being informed, but it is your responsibility to stay informed and give your input.  Otherwise, you have to trust the leaders who selflessly volunteer their time and talents.  It's a thankless job and I, for one, appreciate every one of the board members.  

As for the cell tower, I have seen numerous cell towers near our area and quite frankly, I don't notice them until I look for them.  There's a tower on the west side (on the out-parcel?) that I never noticed before today.  If you use a cell phone or wireless capabilities, then I don't buy the "not in my backyard" argument.  (This is NOT the same as building a hotel.)  Is this tower really necessary?  That's a good question.  Will it raise, lower, or not affect house values?  For me, the jury is out.   Will other carriers request towers, too?  It was stated in the last board meeting by T-Mobile that it is common practice for carriers to "rent space" in existing towers to share cost and coverage.  The expectation (in writing?) is that there will be no exterior elements unless New Territory chooses to mount something (a whole different discussion).

If you choose to voice your opinion, please try to make it an informed, factual comment or open question.  Many of the questions and comments have been answered in previous meetings or can be answered with a little research or a phone call.  I would be happy to share.  (For example, no exterior antennae will be mounted.  So simple.  If you want to know what's in the proposed contract about this, ask the board.)  So, I encourage you to voice your opinion (ain't America GREAT!).  But, I also enourage you to do so with decorum and respect for other opinions and our board.

I am taking responses to this topic from neighbors in my neighborhood. 

For everyones information, one of our New Territory resident's has taken it upon himself and created a website to address the T-Mobile Cell Tower proposal by our board. The link is:
www.StopTheCellTower.com

Jagi

I became aware of this issue reading the Fort Bend Star, a link to the article is included below.  I’m personally very disappointed by our association, board and my neighborhood representative. The board thinks it’s unreasonable to send us all a letter on this topic? In the 14 years I’ve lived in New Territory I think this is the top issue that should have been communicated to the residents before consideration, we have been notified by letter on many less important issues.  There are several ways this could have been done without incurring cost, they could have put it in the bill for the association dues for one.

Our neighborhood rep told us we should have read the NT website. That’s a little like cutting down your neighbors tree and when he gets upset saying “Gee I posted a notification on my website that I was going to cut your tree down, I don’t understand why you’re mad”.  Issues regarding property value and potential health risks rise to a higher standard than a passive posting on the NT website.

Regarding the pictures that show what the tower is supposed to look like.  I think this is deceiving.  This is the tower with no external antennae on it.  Take a look while driving around town to see what they look like when they have several carriers’ antennae strapped to them….ugly.  I know the board has stated that there won’t be any external antennae, how is this guaranteed?  Why do all the others I see have external antennae?

What does this do for New Territory?  How is it improving our community?  Saves us all $3.91 per month and we have to look at this thing?  What’s next, let UPS park some trucks at the school to get faster package delivery?  The reason people like to live in New Territory is we don’t have these things!

I understand some people don’t think it’s a big deal because it’s not close to them.  I guarantee they would have a different opinion if it was next to their home.  My biggest concern is the way it’s being handled.  I think the association and board should have been more proactive communicating this to the residents so they can have some say in the matter.

It’s a bad idea; I say scrap it and move on.  It’s not our responsibility to find T-Mobile a tower location.

http://www.fortbendstar.com/030310/n_newterritory.htm

You stated that the Board is considering dedicating the funds to our parks.  I was told previously, that our bylaws mandate it, which is it?

I would also like to know if the other towers in the area contain more than one carrier (T-Mobile). I think that the T-Mobile coverage in our area seems sufficient as stated by other T-Mobile residents.  I do not see a reason to install another tower in a neighborhood when there are quite a few already in the area.

Having lived in RL for 22 years and been a previous Neighborhood Rep, I think all the neighbors that are criticizing the Board and the Reps should walk a few feet in their shoes before lashing out at these VOLUNTEER positions!  I agree that a mailing should have sent out, or at least something prominent in the NT newsletter (Front page news).  I read my newsletter each month from cover to cover, and do not recall having seen anything.

BTW, I have AT&T and cannot make calls half the time in my home, but I still do not want a cell phone right smack in the middle of our neighborhood.  We can do better than that.

While health risk reports from radio emissions differ according to sources, the fact is we don’t know the long term effects of radio emission radiation.  The proposed cell tower location is right across from WSE.  Why subject our youngest and most vulnerable citizens to even a potential source of radiation?

Others on this site have noted the small economic gain to our community.  It seems to me, a small number of residents are unfairly bearing the burden of this economic source.  It’s the surrounding neighborhoods (Blakely Bend & Robinsons Landing) that will be most impacted visually, economically (real estate values) and potentially health wise.  I’ve heard the majority of residents in the impacted area are against this proposal.  If this is for the enhancement of the entire community, how can it move forward when it hurts the surrounding area – this is not good for all, but rather good for most.  And that’s not good enough.   New Territory is a wonderful place to live because of the careful planning and maintenance of the entire community.  Let’s not go down a slippery slope of development.

How tall are the light poles for the baseball fields at The Club?  Just eyeballing it on Google Streetview, they appear to be in the neighborhood of 75'.  If that's the case, a 100' tower at The Club made out to be a giant flagpole may not be as out of place and unsightly as a 120' tower between Blakely Bend, Robinson's Landing, and Telfair.

IMPORTANT:  The next alternate site that is being looked at to be proposed by the board (a board member said "The alternate proposal is very preliminary") is going to be at the New Territory Club. This is going to affect residents in Sterling Heights, Morningside,  Sunset Cove,  Sterling Chase,  Lake Pointe,  Stone Creek  and  Preston Forest  in whatever ways they believe.
A cell tower in the close proximity of any residential area in New Territory is not acceptable as far as I am concerned as an individual. This is becoming the ‘slippery slope’ another resident mentioned.

Please, let’s do everything we can to maintain the pristine neighborhood we are proud to live in and raise our families.

xxxxxx