Woman argues against cellular tower

Spectrum, by Angela Wade

Following is an open letter sent on July 21, 2004 regarding an application for conditional-use permit for tall structure by Dobson Communications, identified on notice as 19N3E31.

To whom it may concern: The Chickaloon Village Environmental Protection Program, based in the Sutton and Chickaloon region, is opposed to the construction of a cellular tower on Mr. and Mrs. McNamara's property.

The Matanuska Valley is a renowned flyway for migrating birds, including eagles and other raptors, swans, cranes, songbirds, ducks and geese. The middle of the valley, where lowest elevations are, is the preferred path of the birds, and the cellular tower at the proposed location would pose a great threat to these migratory birds. Nationally, almost 5 million birds are exterminated every year by the inappropriate placement and construction of cellular towers.

The middle of the Matanuska Valley is also a very popular flyway for small airplanes, which are traveling from Anchorage and other departure points to Glennallen, Tok and the many lodges and homes to the eastern part of Alaska.

Often during the summer in the Matanuska Valley the clouds and fog are low. At this time, the only safe location to fly is down the middle of the valley, as far away from the mountains as possible, and close enough to the ground that it is visible to the pilot. The proposed cellular tower location would be a dreadful hazard to the multitude of small airplanes that navigate in this area.

The proposed location would certainly be visual pollution degrading the beautiful views that the area is known for. The Glenn Highway was recently recognized as a National Scenic Byway, which will likely increase local tourism and boost the local economy. Increased tourism is currently a high priority of the Mat-Su Borough and a large tower of any sort along the Glenn Highway is not the "welcome sign" the Mat-Su Borough is focused on developing.

The proposed location for this cellular tower would severely detract from the pleasurable Glenn Highway experience and reduce the economic potential of the National Scenic Byway recognition.

Another shortcoming to the proposed cellular tower location is the high number of current and planned residents in proximity. There are legitimate concerns to the local landowners about property devaluation and health endangerment. Nonthermal radio-frequency emissions (i.e. cellular towers) may cause numerous cancers, immune system suppression, fetal tissue damage (inducing birth defects), neural network perturbations, cataractogenesis and other biological effects, according to Cletus Kanavay, chief of the Biological Effects Laboratory at the Kirkland Air Force Base in New Mexico.

Many people in the upper Matanuska River Valley agree that increased cellular phone service is a good thing. Therefore it is important to determine appropriate and agreeable locations for a cellular tower. Two locations in the vicinity of the proposed location would be better. The correctional facility has cleared large tracts of private land that could potentially house such a structure, where no one lives, drives by or visits.

Another location could be in the previously strip-mined Jonesville Mine area north of Sutton. This area could be ideal as it is an undesirable residential area, it is off the flight path of bird flyways and the main small airplane thoroughfare and a tower in this location would not detract from the scenic views of the Glenn Highway.

Please consider relocating the cellular tower from its proposed location. As stated on the Web site of the National Scenic Byways, "this stretch of the Glenn Highway is considered by many to be one of the most scenic in Alaska." Let's keep it this way!

Angela Wade is the program director for The Chickaloon Village Environmental Protection Program.

Editor's note: Since submission of this letter the Mat-Su Borough Planning Commission voted on the issue and determined that the proposed location was not an appropriate site. The item will be discussed again at the commission's meeting Monday at 6 p.m. in the Mat-Su Borough Assembly chambers.