Telus has changed the location of a 200-foot cell tower proposal in Dove Creek, placing a bigger footprint on agricultural land.
According to Andrea Burch who lives on the neighbouring property of the proposed tower, many nearby residents find the location worse.
The proposed telecommunications tower at 3505 Dove Creek Road has been moved out of view from Condensory Road and the One Spot Trail. However, the new site is located hundreds of metres into agricultural zoning in Dove Creek.
鈥淚t鈥檚 less satisfactory,鈥� said Burch. 鈥淚t鈥檚 much closer to residences. Two of our neighbours, and ourselves, any window you look out of in your house鈥� you will see the flashing lights in the tower.鈥�
The new location places the tower within roughly 500 metres of Burch鈥檚 home. A media spokesperson for Telus said the move was made with a few factors in mind.
鈥淲e have made the decision to relocate the cell tower to a new location that will be less visible for the majority of residents in this area while still providing optimal network coverage,鈥� said Olivia Andolfatto in an email to the Record.
Residents, including Burch, had protested the previous location 鈥� saying it was near to the One Spot Trail. The proposed new location is hundreds of metres away. It also takes the tower out of sight while driving down Condensory Road.
The new location, however, brings new concerns.
The tower would require infrastructure. Burch, who shares a property line with the land at 3505 Dove Creek Road, said there is no service for electricity at the new site. Telus would need to extend power lines into the property. It would also have to build a 400-metre road to get to the tower.
鈥淭owers don鈥檛 need to be in the middle of productive farmland,鈥� said Burch. 鈥淭he bottom line is no location at 3505 Dove Creek is going to be satisfactory. No one in the neighbourhood is going to agree on that.鈥�
In 2021 neighbours amassed a petition with more than 150 signatures. They called on local leadership to block the tower, which at the time was in a different spot on the property.
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The area is within the Agricultural Land Reserve.
For that reason, many neighbours believe the telecommunications tower doesn鈥檛 belong. Some complain of irony 鈥� they are not allowed to erect signs, but their neighbour can install a 200-foot cell tower.
Due to jurisdiction, however, Telus is within its rights to propose the tower.
Applications for cell towers go to the federal level, with more authority than provincial jurisdictions like the ALR. Cell tower proposals are not bound by the same regulations that govern homesteads.
Telus has been trying to secure a spot on the property for more than two years. The utility company wants to provide wireless high-speed internet, and to offload traffic from a cell tower in Courtenay.
The tower is also important for public safety, Andolfatto said. Roughly 80 per cent of 911 calls are sent from mobile phones. Telus鈥檚 cell service in the area around Dove Creek has historically been weak, making emergency calls unreliable.
The tower will also support the growing demand for connectivity throughout the community. The land at 3505 Dove Creek has been the best option for Telus to accomplish those goals.
Local leadership will weigh in
In February, Comox Valley鈥檚 electoral directors are set to make a decision. They will decide whether or not to give Telus a 鈥渓etter of concurrence鈥� for the new tower site. The letter would allow Telus to further its tower application.
The Electoral Area Services Committee 鈥� made up of Daniel Arbour, Edwin Grieve and Richard Hardy 鈥� aims to meet on Feb. 26 about the letter. That is not confirmed, however, until the agenda for the meeting is released.
Media relations at Comox Valley Regional District told the Record that if a letter of concurrence is not given, Telus has the option to escalate the process. Telus could escalate up to the federal government for dispute resolution 鈥� or withdraw.
The Innovation, Science and Economic Development department has the final jurisdiction when it comes to cell towers. It can make a decision when two parties 鈥� like Telus and the CVRD 鈥� are unable to come to an agreement.
That kind of involvement is 鈥渧ery rare,鈥� a media spokesperson for ISED told the Record. Most concerns are addressed before they get to federal jurisdiction.
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