Oct
2
By Sarah Pugh
A new cellular base station - commonly referred to as a "tower" - has been installed on top of the James Bay Square apartment building, prompting questions and concerns from nearby residents.
Henry Sandin lives directly opposite the installation. While he's slightly miffed that it takes up part of his previously stunning ocean view, he's more concerned about the health impacts "Of course, I'm very concerned," he says, noting that he and another neighbour paced out the distance and figure that it is less than 120 feet (40 metres) from his balcony - and some of the antennas are pointed straight at it. In some jurisdictions, such as France, cellular antennas may not be located within 100 metres of a residence.
Sandin and other residents of the Lord and Lady Simcoe apartments also wonder at the placement of the antennas, since it would appear that their buildings would have been better candidates. The taller Lord and Lady Simcoe buildings also would seem to block much of the signal to the north and west.
City officials have had no official say in the installation, since rooftop antennas on privately-owned buildings that do not exceed 25 per cent of the building's existing height are exempt from Land Use Authority consideration. In fact, according to the federal guidelines, Telus was under no obligation to consult with anyone regarding the installation - although there is a "suggestion" in the guidelines that "exclusion criteria ... should be applied in consideration of local circumstances," and that consideration should be made of "the location of the proposed antenna system on the property and its proximity to neighbouring residents, [and] the likelihood of an area being a community-sensitive location."
Telus, for its part, is glad to finally close some of the cellular coverage holes that have plagued customers in the area for years. Generally, the mobile operator places cellular base stations by identifying gaps in coverage, and seeking a building owner or strata council interested in the revenue from such a station. This particular base station represents a $350,000 investment for Telus, and is anticipated to close coverage gaps in the middle of James Bay, and some of the coverage gaps along Dallas Road.
The station is expected to be live sometime in the next month.