Request for 2001 Staff report of public hearing -
mandatory referral and community notification
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003
Dear Chairman, The MNCPPC staff report archives (at http://www.mc-mncppc.org/board/meetings_archive/master_archive.shtm) stop short of the month for the report on the Mandatory Referral and community notification of the Nextel Monopole proposed for Northwood High School. The original location proposed to the TTFCG committee which would be very close to the new addition with the new front entrance to the school is unacceptable. Please send a copy of the staff report of the public hearing at which this was brought up. Can you please explain the process this application went through after it left this TTFCG committee. How was the community notified? Since Northwood did not yet have its own school population what is meant by the "school's position" in the first line of the second paragraph? Who spoke for what school? We believe BCC High School was in the building at the time- did BCC staff give concurrence? Did anyone in the community whose children would actually be attending the school when it was reopened and the pole went up give approval? If so who? Why did those involved in the feasibility and design for the re-opening and renovation of the school for the past 1-1/2 years just learn of this Nextel Monopole? I have also included the minutes of the first meeting at which this tower was brought up. Thank you very much for your help.
Kathleen Michels
1701 Ladd St.
Silver Spring, MD 20902
301-649-5684
michelsk@nih.gov
Upper Sligo Civic Association
our neighborhood's children will have Northwood as their home school.
REVISED MINUTES OF April 4, 2001 From: Bob Hunnicutt, Tower Coordinator, Columbia Telecommunications A meeting of the Telecommunications Transmission Facility Coordinating Group (TTFCG) was held on April 4, 2001. The following people were in attendance: MEMBERS Jane Lawton, Chairperson OCA (240) 777-3724 (FAX) 777-3770 Pat Hanehan MCPS (301) 279-3405 (FAX) 279-3737 Michael Ma M-NCPPC (301) 495-4595 (FAX) 495-1306 Dave Niblock DPS (240) 777-6252 (FAX) 777-6241 Willem Van Aller DIST (240) 777-2994 (FAX) 777-2950 Rey Junquera DPWT (240) 777-6086 (FAX) 777-6109 Eric Carzon OMB (240) 777-2763 (FAX) 777-2756 STAFF Robert Hunnicutt CTC (410) 964-5700 (FAX) 964-6478 Julie Modlin CTC (410) 964-5700 (FAX) 964-6478 Amy Wilson OCA (240) 777-3684 (FAX) 777-3770 OTHER ATTENDEES Lee Jarmon Nextel (301) 625-4907 (FAX) 625-5502 Deane Mellander VoiceStream (240) 264-8658 (FAX) 264-8610 Jim Michal Jackson & Campbell (202) 457-1652 (FAX) 457-1678 Charles Ryan LCC/XM Satellite (703) 873-2393 (FAX) 873-2686 M.G. Diamond Verizon Wireless (301) 951-1564 Carolyn Mitchell Cingular Wireless Pam Peckham Bechtel/AWS Tom King Darnestown Assoc. (301) 417-9789 Chris Scott AT&T Wireless Kwasi Bosompem WFI/Verizon (410) 309-0556 Cynthia Middlebrooks WFI/Verizon (443) 306-7165 Geraldine McCarthy LCC Int'l. Terence Cooke Cole,Raywid/ATT (202) 659-9750 John Kelley Thinc/Nextel (301) 625-5993 (FAX) 625-5871 Action Item: Nextel Communications application to replace a 25' light pole with a 68' monopole/light pole at Northwood High School located at 919 University Boulevard in Silver Spring (Application #200005-07). Julie Modlin summarized the application and noted that this item was tabled at an earlier TTFCG meeting, pending resolution of questions regarding the use of existing structures. Ms. Modlin explained that Nextel had submitted sufficient technical information to verify that the taller buildings around this site could not be used given the configuration of Nextel's network and RF considerations. She also noted that Nextel had lowered the height of the proposed light pole/monopole from 80' to 68'. In response to questions, Pat Hanehan explained that the School's position was that as long as the replacement light pole was along the boundary of the property so as not to interfere with the intended renovation of that school facility in the near future, they did not have a problem with this siting. Mr. Hunnicutt noted that with the lower height, the antennas would stick up just slightly above the existing trees which are immediately adjacent to the proposed site. Further, the trees should block the view of the pole from the adjacent elderly care facility. Mr. Hunnicutt added that he did not believe there would be objections from the community to the pole at the lower height. Jane Lawton asked if the Mandatory Referral process would provide notice to the nearby residents. Deane Mellander stated he believed notice would go to the appropriate civic associations. Michael Ma agreed. Motion: Rey Junquera moved the application be recommended. Willem Van Aller seconded the motion and it was approved with Pat Hanehan abstaining. ******************************** MINUTES OF December 6, 2000- TTFCG meeting To: Distribution From: Bob Hunnicutt, Tower Coordinator, Columbia Telecommunications A meeting of the Telecommunications Transmission Facility Coordinating Group (TTFCG) was held on December 6, 2000. The following people were in attendance: MEMBERS Jane Lawton, Chairperson OCA (240) 777-3724 (FAX) 777-3770 Pat Hanehan MCPS (301) 279-3405 (FAX) 279-3737 Willem Van Aller DIST (240) 777-2994 (FAX) 777-2939 Michael Ma M-NCPPC (301) 495-4595 (FAX) 495-1306 Dave Niblock DPS (240) 777-6252 (FAX) 777-6241 Gene Dombroski DFS (240) 777-6086 (FAX) 777-6109 Eric Carzon OMB (240) 777-2763 (FAX) 777-2756 STAFF Tim Krout CTC (410) 964-5700 (FAX) 964-6478 Robert Hunnicutt CTC (410) 964-5700 (FAX) 964-6478 Amy Rowan OCA (240) 777-3684 (FAX) 777-3770 OTHER ATTENDEES Sean Hughes Nextel (301) 625-5556 (FAX) 625-5502 Maureen Kane Smith VoiceStream (240) 264-8611 (FAX) 264-8610 Rob Neely LCC/airBand (703) 873-2156 (FAX) 873-2600 Marshall Knight Nextel (301) 625-7834 Shilpa Mandavia Nextel (301) 951-2826 Fariba Kassiri Prince George's Co. (301) 952-3780 Ernest Shepherd III Prince George's Co. (301) 952-3308 Scott Ticer airBand (469) 791-0007 (FAX) 791-0234 Chrystal Haag airBand (469) 791-0016 Karmyn Norwood airBand (469) 791-0033 (FAX) 791-0234 Robert Dew LCC/airBand (703) 886-7110 (FAX) 873-2600 Peter Myers Metricom (703) 269-1545 (FAX) 269-1501 Harry Lerch Lerch,Early,Brewer (301) 657-0161 (FAX) 986-0332 James Moorhead Lerch,Early,Brewer (301) 657-0735 (FAX) 986-0332 Larry Horton Verizon/WFI (703) 989-8766 Deane Mellander Thinc/Voicestream (240) 264-8658 (FAX) 264-8610 Carolyn Mitchell Cellular One M.G. Diamond Verizon/Crown Atl. Jim Michal Jackson & Campbell Tom Fleming MCFR (443) 277-4861 John Todd GPD Telecom (330) 283-6616 OTHER ATTENDEES (continued) Said Bisyir TRW (301) 610-7818 Bill Lynch General Dynamics Don Pohlmann MCPD (240) 773-5221 Action Item: Nextel Communications application to replace a 25' light pole with a new 80' monopole/lightpole at Northwood High School at 919 University Boulevard in Silver Spring (Application 20005-07). Tim Krout summarized the application and explained the Tower Coordinator did not recommend this application because there were existing alternative sites that could be used in lieu of erecting a new 80' monopole. He added that he was unable to see a gap in coverage in this area, and consequently, concluded this site was primarily for capacity. He added that Nextel had representatives at the meeting who could explain their position on this siting. Sean Hughes stated he had not been notified in advance that this application would not be recommended, but he explained that Nextel engineers had considered a number of alternatives, each of which was identified in the application. An explanation as to why they could not be used had been submitted. Mr. Krout commented he did not understand how the submitted explanation for the other sites as "being too tall" could rule them out as an alternative location for attachment. Mr. Van Aller stated that it would be extremely visible where it was presently positioned, and asked why Nextel did not propose replacing the flagpole. Mr. Hughes replied that the flagpole was too close to the school and they had reviewed the location on the school property with Pat Hanehan and school representatives and the school preferred that the pole be moved to the side of the property. Pat Hanehan explained that the County presently owns Northwood High School and used by MCPS as a holding school. He explained that eventually the school would be converted back to an MCPS school and the Board of Education would ask that the County return the property to it. Mr. Van Aller asked why they could not place a new light pole at the athletic field at the back of the property and asked what was on the other side of the trees next to the present pole siting. Mr. Hunnicutt explained there was a nursing home on the other side of the trees. Mr. Hughes stated that siting a new pole in the back of the property would increase its proximity to single-family residences. He added that at its currently proposed location, there is a strand of trees that separate the pole from the nursing home. The Nextel engineers explained that in order to reuse the frequencies on the Nextel system, anything greater than 135' would be unacceptable from their network design perspective. Mr. Ma asked if they could attach antennas to the Inwood House on Inwood Road. Mr. Hughes replied he was not familiar with the Inwood House, but there was also a coverage issue and they needed to be at the proposed location. Mr. Hughes added that in Nextel's engineering review, they could find nothing within a half-mile that would be suitable for antenna attachment. Jim Michal added that one of the buildings listed as an alternative site had, in the past, demanded unacceptable commercial rates for attachment. Jane Lawton noted she had concerns about recommending this application because there was no formal school sign-off on this siting. Pat Hanehan stated that this siting would go through Mandatory Referral. Jane Lawton replied that since it was not yet used as a public school, the application has not been reviewed with the Principal, the PTA, or the neighbors. She suggested the group give Nextel one month to answer these questions and provide the answers at the next TTFCG meeting. Mr. Hughes agreed, and asked that the application be tabled. Motion: Willem Van Aller moved the application be tabled. Michael Ma seconded the motion to table the application was approved with Pat Hanehan abstaining.