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PP& L Crews start work on NE cell tower 31 days too
early
City issues stop work order
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On both Monday and Tuesday, March 1st and 2nd, work crews from Pacific Power
and Light began work on the construction of a proposed cell tower at NE
Fremont and NE Alameda (37th), cutting and marking the sidewalk and
moving cables from the utility pole .
Vigilant neighbors near the hotly
contested pole contacted David Soloos of the
Office of Cable Communications and Franchise Management when work crews
and a city van showed up Monday.They had been
told Clearwire will not even be able to
submit its application for the tower to the City until at
least 30 days after it holds its last required neighborhood
business association meeting tonight(March 2).
"Is it typical for private companies to assume approval of their
applications in this manner?", wonders
Colin O'Neill, a founder of RespectPDX. " I know OCCFM has worked hard on a new
application process and it seems incredibly disrespectful of the City's
role and presumably in violation of the contract to begin work before
the due process has been completed."
Soloos said he would put in a stop work order if the crews starting cutting
the sidewalk, but that other work was permissible. A few hours
later neighbors, all members of the group RespectPDX, reported that the sidewalk was being cut and
sent photos of broken concrete to the Office of Cable Communications
and Franchise Management. By 4:30 Tuesday the work crews were gone.
This premature construction kick-off raises questions about whether the City's new process for public-right-of-way
cell towers actually gives citizens a voice, and whether it has
any teeth to control the construction of new cell towers.
RespectPDX members and other concerned
neighbors will be attending the Beaumont Business Association meeting
tonight at 6pm at Soluna Grill, 44th and
Fremont. Stephen Topp a Clearwire
representative requested the meeting to discuss the cell tower. This
meeting is part of the application process for wireless antennas on
utility poles in residential neighborhoods.
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