Mayor Emanuel Ransom of the City of Clarkston gave the welcome at the Informational Town Hall meeting held Sept. 24. To the applause of the attendees, Mayor Ransom stated, “You have my full support."
He discussed his personal viewpoint regarding the safety of cell towers and his concerns about siting them too close to schools and homes. He also questioned why the school board had changed its viewpoint regarding cell towers as they had voted to take the item off the agenda in 2006 when it was proposed by supporters at Lakeside High School as a revenue-generating idea. He educated everyone on the fact that the DeKalb County Board of Education had also denied the approval of a cell tower at the Clarkston Community Center years earlier since they were the property owners even though the members of the center had wanted the tower.
Don Broussard, a former member of the DeKalb County Planning Commission, told parents and concerned residents at a Sept. 24 town hall meeting in Clarkston that the county can approve the cell towers through a Special Land Use Permit or a Special Administrative Permit.
“Whenever I see the words ‘special administrative permit,’ my lights go off,” Broussard said.
“That’s a nice way for saying, ‘We can do a deal in the back room.’ No public review, there is no public notice, apparently there are some standards you meet for the permit.”
The representatives from the schools present asked questions of the panel, which included the Mayor along with representatives from the DeKalb County Planning Commission, the non-profit organization Unhappy Taxpayer and Voter and Get the Cell Out - Atlanta Chapter, a grassroots organization formed to help citizens wishing to oppose the towers.
The attendees gathered after the meeting to discuss ideas and exchange contact information so that they can form an action plan to educate more parents and homeowners about how cell towers in residential communities will decrease DeKalb’s quality of life, increase health risks, and decrease property values.
If you want to oppose the construction of cell towers at your local school, or speak out against cell towers on school grounds in DeKalb in general, please contact Viola Davis at 770-256-0034 or email voterwhocares@gmail.com and/or Cheryl Miller at sayno2celltowers@yahoo.com.
The countywide petition can be signed at: www.getthecelloutatl.org or at www.thepetitionsite.com/1/GTCO-ATL. Your name can be annoymous online and email addresses or other contact details are never disclosed. Please mention any of the schools by name in the comments section if you have specific concerns.
Schools on the list to receive towers include: Jolly Elementary (Clarkston), Narvie J. Harris Elementary (Decatur), Briarlake Elementary (Decatur), Margart Harris Comprehensive School (Atlanta), M.L. King, Jr. High School (Lithonia), Princeton Elementary (Lithonia), Flat Rock Elementary (Lithonia), Lakeside High School (Atlanta) and Smoke Rise Elementary School (Stone Mountain).
Good for the Mayor! It is about time a government official starts listening to the people!
ReplyDelete