Stealth Means Sneaky: That Defines the Telecoms

Reprint from the Tucker Patch
Stealth Means Sneaky: That Defines the Telecoms
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:25 am

School Board (former) Chairman Tom Bowen's statement
made to the media for the 11 p.m. news on the
night before the cell tower vote in DeKalb.  Bowen
didn't show up for the meeting the next
evening and did not vote.  Yet, he is now back in
the media giving out misinformation and downplaying
the 10 months of public protest.  And this guy
wants to be elected as a county commissioner?

Great information has been brought to our attention from Briarcliff Heights Community Action Group (the blindsided neighborhood in Atlanta that only learned in November that a cell tower is planned for the middle of their quiet community, destroying their dog park and backyard views).

Here's a list they provided of the canidates this year who are coming into the race using telecom dollars to back them.

Hidden agendas are likely when you know that telecoms invented things like the public notification scam that actually intends to attract no one to their meetings and the "stealth" cell towers, which, by definition, means "sneaky" (as opposed to disguised which would imply "hidden.").

Back in 1996, when no one in the general public was even thinking about whether or not a cell phone might someday be able to transfer digial video images or that it might cause cancer, the telecoms had a hand in writing a little thing called the Telecommunications Act, which was intended to help wireless companies start-up new businesses and increase competition to keep prices affordable for all Americans.

Instead, it has been used to buy-up any start-ups or smaller competitors and run over local governments and intimidate them into backing down from enforcing their own laws and ordinances. And, they convinced Congress to put a little line into that Act that states a local government cannot deny a wireless transmission tower permit solely on the grounds of environmental factors as long as it complys with FCC standards.

Through the court system, they have since convinced us that "envirnomental" also means "health" even though no other Act or Bill has ever been interpreted that way. And, they've convinced some local governments that they are not even allowed to discuss the possible health effects.  That's censorship and you would think government officials would know that's not allowed, but somehow we still run into this problem.  They've even convinced some school boards that they, too, must follow the rules intended for zoning boards and they can use the Telecom Act as a means to convince parents that there is no other choice than to let the cell tower companies put whatever they want wherever they want and we should all be greatful.

So, doesn't it make you wonder... if no one was talking about the health or environmental effects of cell phones in 1996 or even considering using that as a reason to deny a tower...  and no one had been faced with the issue of whether or not a cell tower would be safe to put in someone's backyard or at a child's playground ...  then how did that language about the envirnomental effects make its way into the Telecommunications Act of 1996?  Who would have thought to put something ridiculous like that in there?

Obviously, the answer is that someone did know about the environmental effects, or at least . And, they expected us to be upset about it. And they knew they would have a fight on their hands that they would likely lose, if we were allowed to talk about the environmental and health effects of radiofrequency (RF) radiation, also known as microwave radiation.

If they told us they wanted us to put a small microwave oven up to our ear and hold it against our heads for hours at a time, we would likely tell them to get lost. If they told us that we would have to pay them hundreds of dollars a month for the privedledge of doing this, we would use stronger language. If they said they were going to do this to our children against their will, we would have them arrested and thrown in jail.

But, all these things are true. And look where we are today. We hold miniture, low frequency devices that emit microwave radiation up to our ears or in our hands or place them in our pockets. We are forced to send children to schools that have this form of radiation being emitted from a tower over their heads all day every day.

We want our government to deny permits based on concerns about the health effects, but we are told not to talk about it. We look at the FCC guidelines and they contain nothing about the cumulative effects of multiple towers and multiple devices all working together to increase the background levels of radiation we are exposed to every day without our consent.

We want to protest, but a new state law tell us we cannot do that either.

We want a bill to ban these towers from our schools. Instead we are left with a non-binding question that is poorly worded that will go on a ballot in the middle of the Summer, the same time that they snuck their deal through last year with our school board. We appreciate Rep. Karla Drenner's efforts to pass legislation to ban cell towers from school grounds, but how did we get left with a referendum to put a question to voters that doesn't even need to be asked?

We have heard from every corner of this county. Isn't it obvious that everyone who has learned what the school board is trying to do is against it? There was no one who came to any of the cell tower hearings at the state capitol to complain that they needed a cell tower and it had to be allowed at our schools. There was a room full of people who were against it. We filled every second of public comment time we were permitted at every hearing they held and all the voices were saying, ultimately, the same thing: NO! We do not approve! We do not want this! Cell towers do not have anything to do with education and should not be allowed to use our public land to further their profit objectives.

Politicians are handed money from lobbyists with corporate goals in mind.
We are being taxed until we can no longer afford to live in our own homes. We can't afford the gas to put in our cars to get to work. And they even want to tax us to use the very roadways we need to take us to our jobs. Or, to get our kids to the "better" schools that we know are not in our neighborhood, but we think might be out there somewhere. We just have to drive far enough to find them, right?
There is nothing wrong with a debate over the issues and politicians who are willing to take a side and defend their reasons for it.  And, we are happy to head that the DeKalb County Commissioners have written to CEO Burrell Ellis to say that they would like to enforce the county's zoning laws when T-mobile applies for cell tower permits, but why did it take them so long to speak up about doing their jobs?

When a debate becomes a one-sided campaign to drown out the citizens who are seen as nothing more than a mere obstacle in the way of corporate profit margins, then it's time to do something more than what we are doing now.

I, for one, have written to the Governor Nathan Deal and asked that he consider no signing off on the referendum that will place a question on July's ballot that is poorly constructed, misleading and can do nothing to help those of us involved in the effort to keep cell towers off school grounds. It's non-binding. It doesn't even use the words "cell" or "wireless." It combines multiple questions into one and it doesn't allow you to say, "I don't know" or "I need more information" or "unaware."
But other than beg for help, which we have been doing for nearly a year through our unofficial group, Get the Cell Out - Atlanta, what can we do? Relocate? Hide?  Live in fear? Let them win? Give up? Or VOTE!

I will opt to VOTE this election and I will encourage everyone I know to do the same. VOTE! Do the homework and learn the issues. If you are taking a vacation in July, make sure you get an absentee ballot. If you are not registered, please REGISTER TO VOTE NOW!

And if you vote in the school board election, with or without children of your own, just remember: ALL INCUMBENTS MUST GO! It's as easy as that. Yet, it's so difficult if we do not join forces and do the right thing. The citizens of DeKalb County have the power, the money and the numbers to set our county straight.  Let's do something about the problems this year. Let's remind every elected official who they work for and what we demand they do for us in exchange for the comfortable office and the cushy jobs they enjoy.

VOTE! And if you value your life, make a resolution to reduce your use of wireless services and don't hold your phone to your head, ever!

Visit the Get The Cell Out site for more information and sign the countywide petition which will soon be delivered to CEO Burrell Ellis in expectation that his office will have the final say regarding permits for towers at our schools. Your name can remain annoymous online and information will not be used for any other purpose than delivery to elected officials who can help us stop the towers.

Dear Ms. Teal and the Officers of the Georgia Council of Administrators of Special Education

I am writing to you today to ask for your help with a very serious matter taking place in DeKalb County that may have a significant and possibly harmful impact upon one of our county's most vulnerable populations, the most severely mentally and physically disabled children.

These children attend school from K - 12, practically their entire childhood, at a special school that our school board has designated solely for the purpose of their education and fulfilling their special needs.  This school is called the Margaret Harris Comprehensive School and it is located at 1634 Knob Hill Dr. Atlanta, GA 30329.   For more information about them, you can view their website here:  http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/margaretharris/.

In May 2011, just prior to the Summer break and during a very busy time for students and parents, a notice was reportedly send home with children at 12 schools thoughout the county.  My child's school was one of them and I kept a copy of the flyer.  You can view it here:  http://www.scribd.com/doc/86772448/58801355-Official-Notice-by-T-Mobile-and-DeKalb-County-School-Board.

The school board posted a similar notice on its website, but obviously from the vauge wording, no one would have thought at the time that the meetings were about putting cell towers on school grounds.  It sounded like the school was simply being used as a community meeting space.  As you might expect, turnout at most meetings was low or non-existant.  Those who did show up in most cases were the principal, a few people from the school board and their staff, the T-mobile presenters and possibly one or two PTA officers who were encouraged to attend.

The Margaret Harris School is located in a residential neighborhood and they do not want the intrusion of a dangerous and ugly cell phone tower next to their homes and schools.  They have posted signs in many of their yards in protest and have started a website:  www.briarcliffheightscommunityactiongroup.org.  They are fighting on behalf of the community rights, but I'm concerned that they have not been able to reach any of the parents at the Margaret Harris School to warn them of the dangers.  Someone needs to let these people know in case the radiofrequency from a 150' cell tower with a 60' x 60' base with room for up to 3 additional carriers might be something their child cannot tolerate.

These children may be electro-sensitive, a recognized medical condition, or they may have lower immune systems, making them particularly suspectible to the dangers some say cell towers might pose to cellular DNA and biological material with continuos long-term exposure.  I urge you to refer to the website for The Center for Safer Wireless for more facts about this issue.

Of particular concern is any children who may have coclear implants.  My husband is a physical therapist and he has heard that some levels of RF can actually damage or permanently ruin these expensive devices, which are actual surgical implants to help the child hear.  It would be a great expense and trauma to have a child undergo surgery to corrrect something if the damage can be avoided.

We have tried out best to warn the school board, the county commissioners, the CEO of DeKalb County and even our state Representatives and Senators.  We are not getting anywhere.

From the date of application to the county, there is a federally guaranteed right to file an appeal that can result in full refund of attorneys fees.  In addition, we think these children can be represented by someone with a license to practice law pertaining to the Americans with Disabilities Act.  We are just not sure whom we should contact since we do not actually have a child or any contacts at the school.  We do not believe the principal or the PTA will be helpful as they may possibly be a part of the agreement that will result in some money coming to the school if the towers go up.  This is unconfirmed because as the contract is written, all money really goes right to the county school board.

We hope by passing this information to you, perhaps someone can look into the situation and make sure there are no violation of rights taking place here.  I became even more concerned recently when Crossroads newspaper reported that absolutely zero people were in attendance for the public meeting from Margaret Harris School.   I believe that is because they simply did not know anything about it, not because they were okay with it.

Thanks for your time. 

DeKalb County Finds Telecommunications Towers and Antennas in the County Directly Affect Public Health!

Pictured above, a view recently on 285 Northbound in Atlanta.
Eleco-smog, or RF emissions from cell towers and wireless
devices, cannot be seen or smelled, but similar to
carbon dioxide, that does not mean it is not real. 
And, that does not make it safe. 

(click headline for full text)

"DeKalb County finds that the number, height, design characteristics and location of telecommunications towers and antennas in the county directly affect the public health, safety and general welfare."

If you have heard that there is nothing to be concerned about when it comes to wireless technology, then check out the DeKalb County Code of Ordinances.  You might be surprised to know that the DeKalb County government would disagree with what you heard.  In fact, they feel just the opposite. 

See the county statement in its official doctorine, the code of ordinances, for the safe siting of cell towers:  Sec. 27 - 779. - Telecommunications towers and antennas.  They go on to say:

"The county further finds that such structures, when inappropriately located, have the potential to pose a danger to surrounding property owners and the genral public and substantially detract from the beauty and aesthetic appearance of the county."

Regardless of how or why the DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis is comfortable with just pawning this big decision off to one of the several Interim Planning Directors he has had on board, even after all the calls and emails, he will still have to make sure they comply with a few regulations.  That is, if his office plans to follow its own Code of Ordinances. 

You really should read the long list of stipulations we normally expect cell towers to comply with, but here is one example:

"Any tower or anenna located within any zoning district where permitted by specail administrative permit shall be set back a distance of one-third of the combined height of the towers and antenna or one hundred (100) feet, whichever is greater, except that where any such adjoining propery is used for resindental use, then said telecommunications tower or antenna shall be set back fromany such off-site struture in residential use, including any accessory structure designed for regular human use, a distance o one-half (1/2) the combined height of the tower and antenna or two hundred (200) feet, whichever is greater."

Several schools on the list for DeKalb County do not have the property to accomodate this requirement.  Is it going to take a lawsuit in order to make our government follow its own rules? 

IMPORTANT NOTE:  If your school is scheduled to get a cell tower, construction shall commense any day now so you should be on high alert.  If you plan to file an Appeal, you have only 30 days from the day that T-mobile and/or the School Board filed the application.  If you file your appeal documents without legal council and need help locating an attorney immediately afterward who can assist you, please email us at sayno2celltowers@yahoo.com and mark URGENT in the subject line.  Leave us a phone number where you can be reached and we will try to help you get in touch with someone who can help you from there.  If you are within the 30-day shot clock of the application date, your attorneys fees will likely be refunded at the end of the case.

As of time of this writing, there are 6 DeKalb schools with FCC Permits AND signed contracts by Super. Cheryl Atkinson in early December 2011, including: 

1. Jolly Elementary School, Clarkston; 
2. Smoke Rise Elementary School, Stone Mountain; 
3. Princeton Elementary School, Lithonia; 
4. Martin Luther King, Jr. High, Lithonia;
5. Flat Rock Elementary, Lithonia;
6. Margaret Harris Comprehensive School, Atlanta

There is one school, Briarlake Elementary School in Decatur, with a signed contract, but no FCC Permit appears on www.antennasearch.com under Unregistered Towers OR under New Application.   There is an existing structure listed as right next to the school, but GTCO-ATL was told by No Briarlake Tower, LLC that this is a satellite dish that is no longer is use, but is till showing up in its orginal location.   Upon reviewing the setback requirements (top of this article) in full, it is possible that even with the exemption and the Special Administrative Permit, Brairlake may not be a large enough campus to be able to comply with the safety standards, if T-mobile is electing to follow them.  It is possible that the FCC is not going to approve their permit application.  They should still be on the lookout for a county permit or varience application with the Office of Planning and Sustainability or with the Office of Public Works.

There are two schools that did not have signed contracts to be sent at the time of our Open Records Request recently, according to Walter Woods, spokesperson for DCSS.  He suggested we check back in a few weeks.   Those two schools are Narvie J. Harris Elementary School in Decatur and Lakeside High School in Atlanta.  GTCO-ATL predicted both of these schools would be removed from the cell tower list early on in the process. 

How's the Technology Treating You? You Have One Hour This Wednesday to Let Your School Board Know!

(click headline for the full story)

Reprint from Crossroads article, "Input Sought on School Tech."

DeKalb students, teachers, parents and residents can give input on Feb. 15 on the school system’s updated plan to implement technology in the schools.

The 7p.m. to 8 p.m. community meeting takes place at the school district’s Administrative and Instructional Complex (AIC) auditorium in Stone Mountain.

The AIC Auditorium is at 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard. For more information, visit www.dekalb.k12.ga.us.

This event will be added to our EVENTS page, which you can acess by clicking the link at the top of our home page.

Service Request Submitted to DeKalb Planning and Sustainability Office

(click headline to read full text of this article)

If we can't get help from a real person, then maybe this will work...

Experts say that when a cell tower falls, it will "fall like a tree."  This is a big concern when you think about what might be in the fall zone of the cell towers planned for 9 DeKalb County schools... schools, daycares, homes, traffic... people - it could be any one of us.  So, what are the odds of one of these planned towers falling?  Unfortunately, a LOT higher than you probably would expect. 

Experts say that when a cell tower falls,
it will "fall like a tree."

Read on...

The thought of a cell tower falling over and landing on a school is one of the reasons GTCO-ATL formed in the first place.  It isn't enough to point out a bad idea to a few people and stop something like this from happening down the street.  If YOU knew there was a REAL possiblity of children's lives being placed in danger, what would YOU do?  The responsibility should NOT be placed on the parents at these seemingly randomly selected schools to alert other citizens about a possible danger to their home, their school or their lives, but that's exactly what has happened. 

While others may be okay with keeping quiet about what they know, the thought that these dangerous towers could be built without proper permits or proper review literally keeps some of us awake at night.  So, to that end, we continue to do what we can to spread the word and hope that you will do your part in telling others about this website so that they can spread the word in their neighborhoods, too. 

This is more than a school debate or a political decision.  This is about a moral obligation to do the right thing.  So, here is one more thing we are doing to try to get some answers, which is all we have ever wanted in the first place. 

Code Compliance and Complaints

DeKalb County has a method where you can complain about any code compliance issue online.  Your complaint is given a tracking number and you can ask that they follow-up with you directly in regard to their progress on your issue. 

To begin the process, go to the Planning Department's Main Page, then click the submenu for "Permitting," and then "Code Compliance and Complaints." 

We decided to give it a try (as you can see from the screen shot of the submission page) because GTCO-ATL is still very concerned about the documents that were posted on the DeKalb School Board's website at the time that they were considering the lease of property to T-mobile. 

GTCO-ATL has uncovered the fact that the structural documents provided to the School Board's Tower Committee were not only years out of date, they also provided specs that are not up to current codes necessary to ensure public safety.  In facts, these documents themselves even gave a poor rating to the proposed tower's ability to remain standing under certain high wind conditions. 

Upon reviewing the Emergency Planning Documents for DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett and Cobb counties, we learned that the wind conditions that might cause this type of tower to FALL OVER are not at all uncommon in our area!  The industry standard was changed to what is known as a "Rev-G" construction which is still not adequate when there is the potential for a falling tower to come in contact with structures expected to be inhabited by human beings (ie. schools and homes).  The "Rev-H" standard is necessary to ensure a higher degree of safety. 

But, T-mobile told our school board that they planned to build to the outdated "Rev-F" standard for the base plate and mounts.  And, since school board members and staff are not trained in the engineering field and do not have the necessary information to determine if tower designs are safe to put next to schools or homes, they approved the entire deal without a second thought about the importance of the technical jargon.  They essentially trusted T-mobile who has a very good reason to want to build to the outdated tower codes - it's cheaper, faster and easier for them.

We have more information about this topic if anyone is interested in reviewing it. Just send an email to sayno2celltowers@yahoo.com and ask for the "Rev-F" code documents.

Here is the full text submitted by GTCO-ATL to the Planning and Sustainabilty Department regarding this issue.  We will provide an update if anyone gets back with us regarding our questions.

I am concerned about the T-mobile request for permits to construct cell towers at 9 or more DeKalb County Schools (orig. list of 12) because I have been told that the permits will be issued by Special Administrative Permit and not by Special Land Use Permit.  I would like to know why /how the Administrative option would apply in this case as these are not temporary structures and should be subjected to the already defined cell tower standards determined by our county via the Special Land Use Permit process, in my opinion. 

In addition, I am very concerend that the documents the school board posted on their website for the public that were stated to be the construction documents submitted by T-mobile indicated that they were wanting to construct a tower with Rev-F standards for the base plate and mount mechanisms.  Rev-F has not been industry standard for many years now and the industry has stated it expects all towers to be built to Rev-G or the new Rev-H standards as these standards lower the chances for the tower to fall over in high wind condititions.

With towers being located so close to schools and homes, it is a major concern if our county is merely planning to "rubber stamp" these towers as I have been told and will not be responsible for the safety of our citizens.  I would like to know what law exempts the schools from zoning codes and why a Special Admin. Permit would be issued that would eliminate public input.

DeKalb, Delegation and Disaster

(click headline for the full story)

Watch your legislative officials at work and count how many times ANYONE mentions the words children or education. 

Read articles on this topic, like this one, on the DeKalb School Watch Blog:

or on the AJC "Get Schooled" Blog:

Check out the Proposed School Zoning Map in question.   The X's represent where the board members live who will continue their terms, clockwise from the top:  Jester, Edler, Walker, Cunningham, Copelin-Wood.  We've updated this version of the map to indicate where the cell towers (as proposed) will be located as well as the location of the schools where the towers were orignally planned, but were removed from the list.

Click picture to enlarge.

Here is the map that was proposed during the substitute motion.  It has seven districts, but does not indicate how the members would be split up among those districts.
It was not clear which of the board members would continue or whether a new election would be held for all districts.

The final map will be determined sometime before Wednesday, Feb. 17 without any further public input. 
This is a very good showdown worth watching... it's up there with your favorite episode of Housewives of Atlanta...  check it out...

Lakeside or Briarlake: Where do They Draw the Line?

A big issue plauging the NoBriarlake Tower campaign is that they were orginally named by the school board as being in favor of the towers.  In fact, their own PTA President admits that she was given a flyer and information to distribute to the members of the PTA back in May 2011.  Stephanie Byre, the self-appointed leader and spokesperson of NoBriarlake Tower has encountered questions about her husband Mark's role in the protest as he has not stepped forward to support his wife's efforts,  speak to the media or answer questions about his reported attendence at the T-mobile meeting in May.

Making the waters as murky as Echo Lake, the actual lake that gives Lakeside High School its name, is that the families at Lakeside High School have been reportedly in favor of the cell towers and are the ones who initiated the request for cell towers in the first place, not just this time, but also a few years ago.

So, if these two schools don't see eye to eye,  with one of them in favor and one of them opposed, who do you believe?  And, wouldn't there be some families who actually have children at BOTH schools?  Which side are they on?  And, how can Paul Womack claim he accurately represented this community which, on the surface would appear to be in the middle of heated debate against one another as to what is right for the community?

And, has anyone wondered why T-mobile would need two towers this close together anyway?  And,  how will MORE towers help a small little area where DeKalb's upper 1% hides out with their complaints of dropped calls.  Experts have pointed to the fact that TOO MANY towers may be the real problem here.

So, what is it with this group? Are they for or against?  Do they need more or less?  Is it for the coverage or the money?  Do they believe in RF radiation dangers?  If so, why are they raising money for IPads instead of for attorneys to protect their children's rights?

And if they did not speak up between May - July, 2011, when they had a legitmate chance to make a plea to the Board of Education, why are they speaking up now?  And why do they continue to show up for events outside their own area when they have publically stated that any efforts they engage in are strictly for the purpose of helping their school and their school alone? 

Shame on  you, Briarlake.  Shame on you, Lakeside.  It's not just YOUR future on the line here.  Your ties to ATT are evident and there are a lot of people upset that you would claim otherwise.  At the very least, if you do not care about the other 99% of the county, the least you can do is keep your protest confined to your area. 

You have the money, the power, the connections ... exactly the reason why your school also wanted the towers in the beginning.  You want our other schools to take the hit while your schools rake in the funds.  We hope the NAACP, the media and the voters can see through this chaurade. 

Like a poorly constructed school that relies on SPLOST funds, your walls will come crumbling down.

Do they really think MORE cell towers will solve the problem?

(click headline for the full story)

Georgia AFTER ...
Note the entire area of Atlanta is solid in color from all the cell towers. 
The worst part?  This map is from 2005! 
Map reprinted with permission from Steelinttheair.com

Georgia BEFORE

Delivery of Petition: DEADLINE EXTENDED: SIGN BY MIDNIGHT on Jan. 11, 2012

If you have comments or specific conerns about the cell tower planned for your school or community, please sign the countywide petition as soon as possible.

The link is at the top left of this website.

Your comments will be included and your name is allowed to remain annoymous online (as well as all your contact details).

The comments of all communities will be compiled and delivered to all the parties at T-mobile, the school board and our local and state government who have input into this process.


NOTE: Even if your comments do not stop the tower, you may still have the right for your specific concerns to be addressed before the construction can begin.


If you or anyone you know needs convincing about the dangers of cell phone use, please watch this video, and spend some time researhing this topic on your own. There are many precautions you can take to reduce the radiation you and your family are exposed to on a daily basis. It is worth a little extra time to learn what you can so you can make informed choices about how to stand up for your own rights and the rights of others.

Industry research is a one-sided story. You need to hear the opposing side - those with loved ones who have suffered as a result of what can only be attributed to cell phones or cell towers. Remember, many cases are still tied up in litigation and the victims cannot discuss the topic until a decision has been reached. Many cases have been settled already and the litigants are bound to a gag-order as part of the judgment award. There is still a report from the World Health Organization scheduled for 2012 release.

Do not lose sight that Amerian citizens have more rights than businesses, unless we agree to give them up.


CLICK PHOTO TO PLAY VIDEO: OR GO TO:  http://youtu.be/zLt7wdipLUA

First "Due Diligence" Period Expected to End Thursday

(click headline for the full story)  If you have any objections to a cell tower slated to go up at your child's school, it is best that you get those objections into writing and into the hands of the DeKalb County Director of Planning or the Director of Public Works before this Thursday, January 12.

Jan. 7 protest of T-mobile by Dekalb residents and parents
highlights the unethical business practices of the company
that has been approved to build cell towers at 9 public schools
against the wishes of community and without proper
notification of the taxpayers.

GTCO-ATL speculates that the end of the first due diligence period for T-mobile could be THIS THURSDAY, January 12, 2012!!! This will be six months from the day the contract was expected to be signed (July 12, 2011). And, that means one of two things can occur next at these sites: a 6 month extention on the due diligence period OR construction of the eavesments or actual tower will begin.

Any affected community needs to be prepared to photograh any signs of construction if you ever wish to claim that the tower will have a visual impact on your view from your home. And, if you were not properly notified, you can file a temporary restraining order quickly to stop the work before it is too late.

This worked in Cobb County and can buy you anywhere from 30 - 90 days to consult with an attorney.  If you have specific questions, please email sayno2celltowers@yahoo.com and we will do our best to help you find the answers.

Special Administrative Permit in DeKalb County Means No Need to Notify the Public

(click headline for the full story)

NEW CALL TO ACTION FOR ALL GTCO-ATL FOLLOWERS:

Contact the Director of Public Works,

in writing and by phone to oppose  the use of

the Special Administrative Permit

for our school cell towers!

Demand Transparency!  Demand Accountabilitty! 

Demand ethical treatment by your elected officials!

Cell towers must be zoned using a Special Land Use permit

which has much more stringent rules that must be followed.

It includes and entire sction dedicated to cll towers!

DeKalb County Public Works Department
Director's and Administration Office
330 West Ponce de Leon Avenue, 4th Floor
Decatur, GA 30030

Director's Office - (404) 371-4778
FAX - (404) 371-4761
CODE
County of
DEKALB, GEORGIA

Codified through
Ordinance No. 11-08, enacted June 28, 2011.
(Supp. No. 42)           

  Go to Sec. 27-779. - Telecommunications towers and antennas.

Applications in all cases where the telecommunications tower or antenna is a use which may be authorized by special administrative permit shall be made to and decided by the director of public works pursuant to all standards and requirements contained within this section, in Article V of this chapter, and any other applicable section of this chapter.

…

No new tower shall be permitted unless the applicant demonstrates to the reasonable satisfaction of the director of public works in the case of application for a special administrative permit or the board of commissioners in the case of application for a special land use permit that no existing tower or structure can accommodate the applicant's proposed antenna. Evidence shall be submitted at the time of application for special administrative permit or special land use permit, as the case may be, which demonstrates that no existing tower or structure can accommodate the applicant's proposed antenna…

FOX5 VIDEO: "Get the Cell Out - Atlanta" Formed to Alert Other Schools About Cell Tower Decision

By KAITLYN PRATT/myfoxatlanta

(click headline for the full story)

Opinions Divided Over Cell Towers at DeKalb Schools: MyFoxATLANTA.com

Updated: Tuesday, 23 Aug 2011, 12:57 PM EDT
Published : Tuesday, 23 Aug 2011, 12:29 PM EDT
Reporter: Kaitlyn Pratt

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - T-Mobile is getting a "busy signal" from some residents in DeKalb County in answer to proposed cell towers planned near elementary schools.

"When did schools become a profit center for commercial business?" asked Cheryl Miller who is against cell phone towers.

There is outrage over the possibility of cell phone towers at schools in DeKalb County.
"One hundred fifty feet in the air - a 60 by 60 base. In the middle of their neighborhood," said Miller.

Cheryl Miller said Briarlake Elementary is one of nine campuses where the DeKalb County School Board approved T-Mobile to build during a July meeting vote.

"If it's nine this year, it could be nine more next year," said Miller.

Miller is concerned about radiation levels and property values. She is working to spread information about the proposed sites through a group, "Get the Cell Out."

"Just because the school board has agreed to lease their property at these nine schools - does not mean T Mobile will get the zoning permits necessary."

But T-Mobile isn't getting a "busy" signal from all residents. Those in favor of placing towers at the nine schools say the money paid by T-Mobile each month will bring much needed funds into DeKalb County's school district.

Supporters add each of the PTA's of those schools will receive a $25,000 donation; money they say could help DeKalb's students.

Both sides will have a chance to voice their opinions at a zoning hearing in the next few months. A date has not been set yet.

Twelve DeKalb schools were originally on the list for possible tower locations. Neighbors signed petitions to have three campuses removed.

Original title of article on FOX5 website: Opinions Divided Over Cell Towers at DeKalb Schools (We did not think "divided" was a fair way to represent this issue, so we re-wrote the title for our blog site purposes.)

Due Diligence Period Could End Jan. 11 or 12, 2012

Just a reminder that even though recent reports indicate that some school contracts with T-mobile were only signed recently, it is still possible that an earlier version was signed on or soon after the July 11, 2011, school board vote.  That would make this Jan. 11, 2012, the end of the due diligence period. 

At the July vote, Ramona Tyson, who was Interim Superintendent at the time, indicated that the "signature would be affixed to the contracts" immediately following the vote by the board and there would be no other opportunity for communities to speak up with regard to their opposition to the towers, or at least not to the school board.  The discussion then turned to the due diligence period that would last 6 months while T-mobile applied for its permits with the county and the FCC. 

We have seen several indications that many FCC licenses have been applied for much earlier than the recent announced contract signing dates, so it is still possible that the latest date is an attempt at "smoke and mirrors" to put communities at a lower level of alert.  In the meantime, the towers could go up as early as mid-January, so we are urginig every community to get prepared and be ready to "pull the trigger" on whatever options you have been considering if you see any signs of construction.

As we have stated many times, it is much easier to stop a tower from going up than it is to have one taken down.  Stopping a tower can often be as simple as forcing the cell company to prove it has a real "need" for the tower and not just a hope that there will be customers after they build their tower.  That is a legal stipulation by the FCC.  However, once a tower is up and running, they have a much better case for why they need it, as they only have to provide the actual usage data of the tower to show it really is being used.

So, get ready!  We're getting closer to a showdown in several communities.  Let's be prepared to fight and win!  Good luck and happy new year everyone! 

FOR UPDATES ON ISSUES LIKE THIS ONE, FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/Get.the.Cell.Out.ATL

Do the Right Thing!

Please sign countywide petition to show our

legislators that the voters of DeKalb County

and the state of Georgia demand a change.

We speak louder as a group united than

we do as individuals divided.

And, we will speak together with our votes later

if they will not listen to us now.

www.thepetitionsite.com/1/GTCO-ATL

Click link above to sign and leave your comments.

Thank you and happy holidays from GTCO-ATL!

Can You Hear Me Now?

So this is what they meant by RF radiation?

Happy Halloween everyone!

If you want to read about something really scary, check out the mention we received on the DeKalb County School Watch: http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2011/10/pta-president-admits-prior-knowledge-of.html.

If you cannot trust your PTA to look out for the health of the children, then you have to make sure YOU are keeping up to date with school board decisions yourself. If you can't make the meetings, then you can always watch them on Comcast Channel 24 live or reveiw them a couple months after the fact on the school board's website. The next meeting will be held on Nov. 7 at 6 p.m.

To review the vote on the cell tower that happened this past July, click this link: http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/pds24/vod/ , locate the July 11, 2011, work session and business meeting link andd click on it to begin the video. Once it starts, you can skip to 2:41:30 in the video.

How to Appeal a Cell Tower in Your Area

Exerpt from www.janecelltower.com - a site full of great information to help fight the towers!

How do you issue an appeal against a proposed cell tower going up within residential property? Go to your city, county, or local government zoning and building department and ask to fill out an appeal request against the building of the proposed cell phone tower. There is usually a cost to file the appeal, with a very small window of opportunity by which to do so. In my Georgia county the appeal process had to be done in 30 days. Of course, I was never notified, thereby I was not granted my Constitutional right to due process. However, if you have been notified of a propossed sitting of a cell phone tower, " time" is of the essence by which you can appeal and state your case before your city or county commissioners, leaders, or zoning board. Getting the appeal process completed is your first order of business.

Read more at http://www.janecelltower.com/gpage3.html

BREAKING NEWS! Flat Rock Permit Application Spotted!

It appears that T-mobile has submitted its application for a permit at:

Flat Rock Elementary School

4603 Evans Mill Rd
Lithonia, GA 30038
(678) 875-3202

Ownership Company: T-MOBILE, USA
Contact: Not Recorded
Phone: Not Recorded
Email: Not Recorded
Address: Not Recorded

Structure Characteristics Filing #: 2011-ASO-5645-OE
Latitude: 33.660
Longitude: -84.159
Structure Type: Tall Structure
Status: Unknown

Date Filed: 09/19/2011

Parents, nearby residents and taxpayers will have no more than 30 days (10/19/11) from the date of this application filing date in order to oppose the construction of this tower.

If you know anyone who lives near this school or has a child who attends Flat Rock Elementary, please urge them to speak to their county commissioner's office and sign the DeKalb county petition against cell towers at our schools:  www.thepetitionsite.com/1/GTCO-ATL.

They should also contact Andrew Baker, the DeKalb County Interim Director of Planning and Sustainability to ask when the county will be hearing public comment on the proposed site for this cell tower.

Andrew Baker’s information can be found here: http://www.co.dekalb.ga.us/portals/ceo/andrew_baker.html
He may be reached at the CEO’s office: 404-371-2881 Executive Office.

Since another application was just recently approved for a site directly across the street from this school, it will be interesting to find out how T-mobile plans to prove there is an actual “need” for the additional tower right on school grounds.

Please report any news to us so that we may assist if possible. You can email your updates to us at
sayno2celltowers@yahoo.com or make your comment on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/get.the.cell.out.atl.