Planning commission denies Minden 5G tower

Planning commissioners split on two requests dealing with Carson Valley 5G towers proposed by Verizon.

The controversial proposal to build an 80-foot tower behind East Fork Fire Station 14 drew nearly an hour’s worth of public comment on Tuesday.

Planning commissioners voted 6-1 to deny the Minden project with Chairman Kirk Walder in opposition. A request to refurbish an old tower along Stephanie Way was granted 6-1 with Planning Commissioner Dave Nelson in opposition.

While the planning commission is generally the final body to discuss design reviews, both decisions could be appealed to the Douglas County Commission and ultimately district court.

Walder pointed out a conflict in county code, which requires a major variance to disguise a monopole as something else, like, say a water tower. However, design review deals with a project’s appearance.

A few planning commissioners said they might support the request if it wasn’t just a giant cell tower sticking up over downtown Minden.

They cited the images showing what the tower would look like.

Planning commissioners mostly avoided discussing any health impacts from the tower, despite that being a major argument from opponents.

That’s because the Federal Telecommunications Act prohibits local governments from denying towers due to health impacts if radiation readings are within parameters.

W. Scott McCollough, an attorney who has sued the FCC over the rule on behalf of the Environmental Health Trust, agreed that if readings on the ground below the tower are within parameters, the county can’t consider that as part of a denial.

He said his modelers couldn’t replicate findings that was the case with the Minden tower.

A third party hired by Verizon indicated that their models indicated it was safe.

The perception that the tower is unsafe could affect the daycare located next to it. The owner of Allie and Friends Daycare said she believes the tower could drive off half her clientele and staff.

Planning commissioners approved a design review for a monopole cell tower located at 1450 Stephanie Way in north Valley.

The tower would be located at East Fork Fire Station 6, which the planning commissioners said is a completely different location from downtown Minden.

In his opposition, Nelson said he felt there was no way to know what the effects of the radiation would be in 50 years.