Saturday, September 16, 2017

72 Hour Notice: Montgomery County Surprises Public with Two Small Cell Tower Meetings

Community Meeting Scheduled
Montgomery County Zoning Text Amendment on Small Cells
Community Meeting
September 18 and 19 7pm to 9pm

Neighborhood Street Lights Are To To Be Replaced With Mini Cell Towers
Montgomery County is Hosting Two Community Meetings

Monday September 18th
Silver Spring Civic Center
1 Veterans Plaza
Silver Spring MD 20910
7pm-9pm

Tuesday September 19th
Montgomery College- Germantown Campus
20200 Observation Dr.
Germantown MD 20876
7pm - 9pm


The Montgomery County County Council is considering a new Zoning Text Amendment on cell antennas in residential zones:
  • Neighborhood streetlights to be replaced with mini cell towers: All street lights in all Montgomery County neighborhoods can be  converted to mini cell towers called small cells- without notice & public hearing.
  • Eliminates setbacks to single family homes: The  300 -foot residential setback for small and large cell towers in residential zones is eliminated.
Eliminates public notice and due process:  mini cell towers can be built without giving notice to homeowners and without a hearing or due process for the community.

Click here to see Draft of the Montgomery County ZTA, 
Click here to see Montgomery County Summary
Click here to see Montgomery County Civic Association Analysis 

What can I do? 

  • Contact The Montgomery County Council NOW
  • Come to the community meeting next week. 
The County did not inform the public about this meeting. We - a coalition of Montgomery County citizens - informed you. Where is the transparency? 

We have written the County asking for proper public notice for this meeting. 

5 comments:

  1. This notice was sent out by a citizen group with a blog here https://smallcellsinmontgomerycounty.blogspot.com

    No notice was given by the county in any way on this. Shame on the county for such lack of transparency.
    PLEASE WRITE THE COUNTY AND ASK FOR
    1. That the meetings be video taped and put on youtube.
    2. That more meetings be scheduled.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The County's announcement says that the ZTA concerns "the deployment of smaller antennas on street light poles and on lower height buildings." In truth, however, because the ZTA removes residential setbacks and makes other sneaky language changes, it authorizes the deployment of antennas and poles in the public rights-of-way, often very close to homes, AND ALSO SMALL AND LARGE CELL TOWERS on private property.

    The intent of this ZTA is to shift most cell applications so that they would be administratively reviewed and approved, completely excluding the affected public from notice, and prohibiting the public from commenting.

    --Sue Present

    ReplyDelete
  3. The average citizen has become the contemporary canon fodder of corporate America.

    ReplyDelete

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