Dear Mr. Brown, Mr. Doizaki and Ms. Berman:

I am vice president of Pacific Palisades Residents Association (PPRA) and a member of Pacific Palisades Community Council (PPCC).  We have been investigating issues involving cell tower proliferation and regulation in Los Angeles for over a year.

I am writing to give you an update on the significant and growing city-wide movement to effect comprehensive reform of Los Angeles’ cell tower regulations — not to ban all cell towers/antennas, but to provide for proper planning, community input in siting decisions and greater protection for residential areas.

To date, 35 NCs and other organizations have passed resolutions or written letters expressing concerns about cell tower/antenna regulation, primarily arising out of proliferation in residential areas of Los Angeles (see attached).

We realize that DLANC has fewer residential neighborhoods than other communities, but this issue may still have an impact in terms of cell tower placement in historic preservation areas as well as in the growing mixed use and residential areas in downtown LA.

At a meeting of Greater Wilshire NC last week (where residents are concerned about the installation of antennas on historic apartment buildings), a representative of T-Mobile confirmed publicly that telecoms are now going into residential and mixed-use areas in a big way — including on private property and in the public right of way — to installmany more towers and antennas (an unknown number of which are being installed, due to loopholes in the law, in front of homes and apartment buildings without notice or regulation). And this week, the Board of PICO NC voted unanimously in favor of requesting a comprehensive new ordinance and temporary moratorium.

Several councilmembers also have concerns about this issue and two motions are now pending in Council committees seeking answers from the city attorney as to the effect of recent court rulings and/or agreements on the city’s ability to regulate these structures.

We hope the attached materials (which have been distributed to NCs where we have been giving presentations) will be of interest, and that DLANC might consider joining the effort.  In light of recent developments, we know that no neighborhood is immune, whether historic or part of a Community or Specific Plan — particularly in regard tounregulated towers in the public right of way. I would be more than happy to attend either a Committee meeting or an upcoming Board meeting to offer further information and explanation.

Thank you so much for your consideration and attention to this important matter.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Christina Spitz
V.P., PPRA
Member, PPCC