Cricket Communications @ Amazon Bikes

City of Oceanside March 20, 2008
City Council
300 N. Coast Highway
Oceanside CA 92054

Re: Appeal of Administrative Permit Cricket Communications @ Amazon Bikes
ACUP-2-07 and ACP-2-07

Dear City Council Members,

We the undersigned hereby appeal the administrative decisions referred to above, including the Coastal Permit, based on the following decision made from the Planning Commission on March 10, 2008.

The applicant has NO Substantial Proof of Necessity for Coverage in this area at all for the 3 Antennas to be hosted at Amazon Bikes at Highway 78 & Vista Way. In the area that the applicant is claiming a gap in coverage Residents say, “they have great quality of cell coverage in and out of houses and neighborhood. Calls received and calls made are just fine in the areas the map the applicant is indicating a gap in coverage”, which was stamped over a year ago in March of 2007. This map then is inconclusive to other antennas that may have gone up in the city since the date the map was submitted, and does not prove the need for coverage. Furthermore, the RF analysis was submitted after Feb 2008, and was not available to residents.

The applicant merely submitted what appears to be a map with ‘guestimates’ of coverage and their bare assertion that such structures are needed. When just north of the proposed site is a 65 foot cell tower hosting an abundance of cell antennas. Additionally there is the massive structure at the North Coast Church just across I-5 freeway, which shows to have plenty of room to host the applicants 3 cellular antennas. The applicant has not shown proof of exhausting these locations, or any other areas. Residents believe there are alternative locations that were not explored and the applicant has ‘under-explored’ such locations. The applicant said they did not want to wait to get approval for the Crown Royal Tower to host the 3 antennas and showed no interest to wait, thus such an expedience to just build because of not wanting to wait is not why we the Residents feel the City of Oceanside should just approve these antennas to be installed, and are asking our Council Members to please vote no.

Further, applicant’s towers would affect the character, quality and views in the neighborhood by creating an ‘antenna alley quality’ with a proliferation of antennas. Adding yet more cell towers fails to preserve the residential character whether the antennas are ‘concealed/aesthetical’ or not. Such additional towers are not compatible with existing residential properties. And under Conditional Use Permits sections (b) adding more cell antennas to this area with other towers/antennas within half a mile will be detrimental to residential properties and cause property values to be lower.

Last, the application does not appear to analyze the effects of the Buena Vista Lagoon, and does not take into consideration being at close proximity with an environmental area. The residents raise questions of concerns for the birds of this area, as the property is along the Buena Vista Lagoon, and may have detrimental effects on the birds who call the preserve home.

Please, we ask you to reverse the approval of the administrative permits and hold a City Council hearing in order to listen to the publics’/residents’ concerns. We value our property and quality of our neighborhoods, and have conducted our own survey of cellular coverage in the area the applicant is claiming to have no coverage. We understand the limitation of the FCC Act of 1996, and understand the city council can say no to the applicant based on NO proof of necessity of coverage, and property value concerns, and environmental impacts.

Respectfully submitted,

Concerned Resident