Cell Towers in Ag Reserve
The letter below refers to the proposed cell tower at 22525 Wildcat Road, Germantown (Case number: S-2770) and cell towers in the Rural Density Transfer (RDT) in general
August 27, 2010
Carlton Gilbert
Planner Coordinator for Montgomery County's Tower Committee
Dear Mr. Gilbert,
In reviewing the above referenced application we offer the following specific comments and ask that you share them with the hearing examiner:
- The proximity to a designated rustic road† dictates the need for additional sensitivity to the protected viewshed in terms of placement and setbacks. Said another way ... this proposed location is in conflict with the County's preservation programs and every effort to shift the site, co-locate elsewhere or utilize state of the art technology to promote harmony with rural aesthetics and community character should be undertaken.
- The applicant proposes a monopole. Given the proximity to a rustic road, a category 1 forest easement and protected viewshed and a HPC master plan site, it would be most prudent to require a more concealed placement such as a "brown stick" with no side arms.
Moreover, as we understand that this application represents one of perhaps 10 or more sites that T-Mobile hopes to pursue in or near treasured rustic roadways and resources in Montgomery County's nationally recognized Ag Reserve, we offer the following general suggestions and promise our vigilance:
- The primary land use in the Reserve is agriculture and, as such, facilities such as cell towers represent a potential conflict with the purpose of the RDT zone. It is therefore critical that proactive measures be required when siting cell towers, including: Co-location whenever possible: applicant should be required to demonstrate that they have sought to co-locate with existing facilities and, if this remedy is discounted, rationale should be made public.
- Provision should be made that: The facility shall be disassembled and removed from the site within ninety (90) days of the date its use for wireless telecommunications purposes is discontinued. Enforcement of this provision is critical and a financial penalty structure should be established.
- The utmost care in siting and up-to-date stealth pole technology should be undertaken. Applicant should accept the special conditions and the cost to address them as a necessary part of siting these facilities in a protected area.
Respectfully submitted,
Peg Coleman
Sugarloaf Regional Trails
Diana Conway
Potomac
Patty Cooper
Historic Medley Association
Jean Findlay
Dickerson
David Hauck
Sierra Club, Montgomery County
L. Oakley Johnson
Darnestown
Chris Kendrick
Poolesville
Dolores Milmoe
Audubon Naturalist Society
Mike Rubin
Boyds
Bishop Sheehan
Barnesville
Anne Sturm
Sugarloaf Citizen's Association
Caroline Taylor
Montgomery Countryside Alliance
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