Plan for radio towers in Point Roberts has been denied
Posted October 21, 2014 10:24 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A cross border coalition is celebrating a big win today. A permit to put up controversial radio towers in Point Roberts to broadcast for South Asian programming in the Lower Mainland has been denied. Whatcom County rejected the five 150-foot towers because the towers exceed the 45-foot limit in Point Roberts.
John Lesow with Stop The Radio Towers Cross Border Coalition calls the ruling a “David and Goliath” victory. He says had the towers been approved and built, people in Tsawwassen would be impacted the most. “They would’ve suffered from the blanketing interference that is the radio frequency interference to all kinds of electrical devices, wireless phones, pacemakers, baby monitors, door bells, you know everything.”
There are also environmental and aesthetic reasons for the strong opposition. “We’re talking about a ten acre parcel of completely forested land that’s right next to the scenic vista and that would be completely desecrated. That would be like building five 150-foot towers next to your home,” explains Lesow.
Even with the win, the group continues to fundraise because there’s always a possibility the company could still appeal.
Delta Mayor Lois Jackson says people in her community worked so hard to fight against the proposal.
“Having people very concerned about the impact of what could happen with those towers on their daily lives was something that could not be ignored.”
Many were worried about potential health impacts and adverse effects on emergency communications systems.
She says all the hard work from people in the community from letters to e-mails really paid off.
