Support local and vocal journalism! Become a Source Member to help get news and culture to Central Oregon.

Town Hall Tonight for Another Cell Tower Planned Near a School

Representatives from Verizon will hear public comments tonight at Mountain View High School

[
        {
          "name": "Air - Ad - Rectangle - 2 pack - Inline Content - 1",
          "insertPoint": "1/2",
          "component": "16844684",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "6"
        }
        
        ,{
          "name": "Air - Ad - Rectangle - 2 pack - Inline Content - 2",
          "insertPoint": "1/4",
          "component": "16844686",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "20"
        },{
          "name": "Air - Ad - Rectangle - 2 pack - Inline Content - 3",
          "insertPoint": "3/4",
          "component": "16844687",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "17"
        }
      ]

Concerned parents, students and community members will meet tonight at 7pm at Mountain View High School cafeteria to voice their opinions about Verizon Wireless’ plans to build another cell tower near a school in Bend.

Verizon Wireless filed a pre-application to build a cell tower about 300 feet from Trinity Lutheran School in 2019. The proposed tower would be 60 feet tall and within 500 feet of a neighborhood—triggering both the need for a conditional use permit from the City of Bend and a public hearing before it's built.

click to enlarge

Town Hall Tonight for Another Cell Tower Planned Near a School

Brianna Porteous

Parents and students from Elk Meadow Elementary School demonstrate outside of the Bend Parks & Recreation District office on Oct. 17, 2019 before a town hall meeting with representatives from Verizon Wireless.

Verizon Wireless plans to build the tower so that it looks like a pine tree, according to KTVZ. It will be located behind the U.S. Market near the intersection NE Butler Market Road and NE 27th Street, and across the street from Trinity Lutheran School.

Acom Consulting, an engineering and land development firm, will represent Verizon Wireless at tonight’s meeting at Mountain View High School, located at 2755 NE 27th Street.

On December 4, Bend City Council unanimously passed Resolution 3181, which is a letter from City Council to the Federal Communications Commission, Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Oregon Rep. Greg Walden. The letter requests that the FCC update studies on the potential health risks of the radio frequency from 5G cell towers. There are no 5G cell towers in Bend, but they will be required for new technologies like self-driving vehicles.

The resolution was a response to complaints of students and parents from Elk Meadow Elementary School in southwest Bend. The group is called "Stop Cell Towers at Schools" and will collaborate with concerned parents, students and staff at Trinity Lutheran who are working to stop Verizon from building another cell tower near a local school.