Why We Are Fighting to Keep T-Mobile Out of Our Neighborhood in 5:23
Over the past few months, I’ve been asked dozens of times about our fight to keep T-Mobile and other cell providers out of our community. Well, we’ve now captured our story on video so anyone visiting our blog can learn about our unfortunate situation in only 5:23. :)
For those of you new to our blog, don’t let this happen in your community. Please watch our video, learn how to protect your family, and support our cause by posting a comment.
Thank you for your support!
Lisa
January 25th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
We live far away from the water tower but we are amazed that T-Mobile and the local, State and Federal representatives have not accepted your reasonable alternative locations for the cell tower. We will be vigilant when this company attempts to place cell towers in our area. T-Mobile is building itself a very bad reputation by being so unresponsive and powerful.
It is further mystifying that none of your elected representatives have taken up your cause. They are insensitive to the needs of middle class working suburbanites. They are ignoring the valid petitions of their constituents. It would be very praiseworthy if some of them joined you and got the law changed.
Good luck in your battle, we believe you will be very successful.
Jim & Maureen
January 26th, 2008 at 1:16 am
Lisa & Mike Hayden: your hard work to fight against the Goliath that is T-Mobile (& those that may possibly follow them) is exemplary to all those families (Davids) across the nation in similar situations & battles. You are an inspiration to all of us. As a research scientist at Children’s Hospital, San Diego, with the increases we are seeing in childhood cancer, it is commendable that fights against consience-less big powers such as T-Mobile be fought, as we truly do not have enough evidence to fully deny the role mobile cell towers may play in adverse effects upon our children, our families, ourselves.
Shame on T-Mobile for being so myopic as to focus on the immediate “gain” rather than examining possible long-term, terrible consequences. If the powers-that-be do not listen more closely, along with their political cohorts, the blood will be on their hands. Shame on you, T-Mobile. Listen more closely.
Good luck, Lisa & Mike - & the community - keep fighting the good fight.
Helen Wade, Ph.D.
January 28th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Thank you Lisa for a super summary of everything that has gone on so far …. the video is great and I hope it is seen by many!! I continue to be confused as to why T-mobile is not willing to work with us in agreeing to wait and work out the details of the Twin Pines Site…. Again… they are being shortsided….. As a large company, they need to ask, Will these community members become our customers??? They should realize the answer is NO WAY if the water tower is converted to a cell tower…. T- Mobile should realize that if they want the customer base they are looking to serve increase, they need to work with our community in finalizing the alternate site….. T- Mobile… Wake up and snap to it!!!!! WORK WITH US!!!
February 1st, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Hi Lisa,
I applaud you and all that you and your community are doing to raise awareness about the serious battle that many communities are currently facing against large cell phone corporations.
I reside in Cranford, NJ, and we are currently figthing Verizon and four other carriers from placing a 130′ cell tower directly within our residential area, only feet from neighboring homes and directly adjacent to a county park.
The battle has been ongoing since October of 2007, and we the residents have had to put our own money up to hire an attorney to fight this massive cell phone company.
It is a terrible situation for any neighborhood to have to go through and I support you 100% in your fight!
Keep up the amazing work and please do not hesitate to contact me if there is anything that I may do to help.
Jennifer
www.residentsact.blogspot.com
February 2nd, 2008 at 3:21 am
Hi, I have never been to your town. I watched your video on YouTube and all I have to say is that you want to use your cell phone but you don’t want the towers up. You can’t have both. I live in an area where there are mobile phone towers every where and have no problems. We do not live far from one and no one here has had a problem and they are proper towers. It has done nothing to property value. It has increased it because people want to live where they have good reception for their cell phone. I think it’s great what you are doing but sometimes you just need to let stuff go. You either want your mobile to work or you don’t. It’s really your choice.
February 2nd, 2008 at 9:01 am
Alistair,
While I appreciate your sharing about property values and your views on cell towers, I have to tell you that my daughter “had” T’Mobile and the reception was fine.
My family will be living 180ft. from the antennae and I have found to much information questioning health effects and I have studies on decreased property values. One was actually done right here in Marlboro, NJ in 2002 by a planning board that was looking out for its residents. It would have been a similar installation on a water tower. They found 3 things after a 10,000 dollar study was done: 1. decreased property value 2. decreased appeal and 3. decreased price. So you see there is much controversy over the health and property values.
I may be willing to risk the property value drop, but the possibility of health consequences is not on the table for my children or the children in this neighborhood.
Thanks for your post, I wish I could feel the same way. Unfortunately, I can’t and neither can many of the people in this country doing the same thing I am.
Take care,
Lisa
February 2nd, 2008 at 9:03 am
Jennifer,
Thanks for the encouragement. You are right it is just sad that we have to reach into our savings to protect the greatest investments of our lives. OUr children and our homes!
I applaud you!
I have b een to your website and I am impressed with your efforts!
Thanks and good luck!
Maybe we can make a difference all across NJ this year!
Lisa
February 3rd, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Alistair,
How many feet is your home from the cell tower? How long have the cell towers been up? How long have you lived in your home that is not “far” from a cell tower? How many children do you have? How many older families are living in your neighborhood? How many of your neighbors said that the reason they moved to your neighborhood was because of the cell coverage? How many people do you know that have cell coverage as their number one criteria for buying a new home? How many schools are w/in 500 feet of all of these these “proper” towers?
While ignorance with a child may be bliss in this case clearly ignorance is no excuse. Take some time to educate yourself on the impact of cell towers both in regard to health effects and property values. You may be very enlightened with what you find out.
We did make choices and we all have perfect cell coverage without a cell tower smack in the middle of our neighborhood! T-Mobile is the one who should “just let stuff go” not the over 1,300 families.
Thanks for visiting the blog and thanks in advance for becoming better educated on cell tower impacts.
Moira
March 7th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Lisa,
I live in Brooklyn and currently my child’s school PTA is fighting against Verizon’s cell towers. They are on the top of an apartment building approx. 60 ft. away from the school and that a few of them are facing directly at the classrooms.
We just had a rally yesterday in front of the Verizon Wireless store not only to protest Verizon, but to raise awareness in our community.
As you have been doing, we have contacted some local politicians to give us their support. Again, we have just started recently so I am not sure what’s going to happen. But we will keep fighting until we win!
So I just wanted to wish you good luck.
Meg
May 18th, 2008 at 10:41 am
We are fighting TMobile in our Indianapolis neighborhood also– the adding of cell tower equipment to a utility pole within 40 feet of a residence, and completely surrounded by residences. Our neighborhood also has had to raise funds for a lawyer to help us in our opposition. We feel the opposition is critical, though, as this is a “smaller” equipment box and tower that will be the first of its kind in Indiana. With its approval, any utility pole anywhere could be used as a cell tower. We caution all neighborhoods to be aware of this type of tower that is coming.
During the variance petition hearing, TMobile presented NO data concerning the actual need for a tower, or data covering their search for alternate sites. Their presentation consisted of “We need this”. We pointed out that TMobile reps, their own website and our research showed adequate coverage in the area. Local television stations publicized the issue. Despite 400 petitions against this, 75 people at the hearing, 5 neighborhood associations, two elected officials speaking against it and the city’s own ordinance stating that it is not acceptable, the variance was granted (3-2). We now have to look at spending $5-10,000 or more to appeal the board’s decision. For TMobile, the $ is pennies– for our neighborhood, the cost is immense.
What can we do? Boycott? Picket? Is there a national organization that champions the placement of cell towers in acceptable locations? How can we bring into awareness what is happening? In Indianapolis here, TMobile has asked for 5-6 variances for various telecommunications equipment since January 1. NO other cell tower has filed a petition in that time.
Please email me at eileenjst@comcast.net with any suggestions you may have.
July 19th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
We have just been told that T-Mobile wants to plant a 140 foot tower about .3 of a mile from our house. Once again, the legal case cannot be made to stop this from happening. Our neighborhood has petitioned the company to stop and will make a case against putting a tower where there is already good signal. We are concerned with the health effects as well as the loss of real estate value. It is an unfortunate situation and I will not risk the health of my family by living near this proposed cell tower. Keep up the good fight and I hope that T-Mobile loses their bid to place their cellular equipment on this water tower.
October 8th, 2009 at 8:47 am
We are fighting a tower next to our neighborhood at a swim club which wants the revenue. A nationwide boycott of T-Mobile is an idea as is appealing to lawmakers. Http://www.emrpolicy.org is a good website. TMobile’s own coverage charts advertising for business on their own websites shows almost flawless coverage. Can they not be charged with false advertising when they show up with charts at these zoning meetings that differ from their advertising to consumers to hook them on their service?