At least they're not proposing to put it right on top of the building. If you drive down Wisconsin Ave in NW Wash, opposite the Georgetown Safeway, there's a large cell antenna right on top of the roof at Hardy Middle School. It's the only school in the area that has such a tower. This being DC, you wonder whether some school bureaucrat received a fat envelope from a tower provider. Hardy serves mostly kids from east of Rock Creek Park, who travel across the city. You can be sure that if this were primarily an Upper NW school, the parents would be pressuring DC public schools to get rid of the antenna.

Yes it is a big deal and MCPS should have a policy to outright reject any company proposing one on one of our school sites. I am very disappointed that this is not the case and each and every school that is approached has to put a lot of energy meeting with the principal and the cell companies to get their voices heard. What is wrong with MCPS?!?!?!?!

The one at the new WheatonHS is so close to the building. I don't worry about radiation, but instead about kids climbing on it, trying to jump from the roof to the tower etc. and if the thing were to catch on fire, as sometimes (rarely) they do, it is writhing 10 feet of the school building. Seems like they could have figured out a better placement for that one.

Health concerns aside, the tower would likely be over 100 feet tall. Parkland is surrounded by single family homes on all sides. So, the cell phone tower would become the focal point of the neighborhood, which would be lovely if you ever wanted to sell your house.

I believe that if they put cell towers in there, the school gains money.

I had emailed about this, and there is apparently going to be a Community Meeting about this in January in case anyone is interested. At least, for the one at Parkland.

I read that Verizon pays $900/month rent on these towers. Does that particular school get the money, or is it distributed to other schools?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Big deal. Drive by one. I would say fire hazard from back up generator and other industrial aspects to cell tower is just as much of an issue as radiation hazard. And operator error also an issue. In the right frequency with the right power level radhaz cooks tissue. And the tower won't just have cell antennas on it. It will be radiating all across the spectrum. Cell company will rent out space to every type of radiating antenna. I would sell my house in a heartbeat before I would live next to a cell tower or let my kid attend a school with one on cite. Total dealbreaker.

I think you need an aluminum foil cap.

Not the PP, but would you be okay with one at your kid's school? Serious question. I inclined to think it's not a huge deal, but if they wanted to put one up at my kid's ES, I'd be a little wary. Do you have any links indicating that this it totally safe?

As an aside, why is Verizon allowed to put these up on any school grounds?

tax free land

Anonymous wrote:Verizon is proposing one at Parkland MS. Is this really a safety concern or NBD?

http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2015/12/bowers-putting-more-cell-towers-on-red.html

yes it brings strangers from 5 different cell cos on to school grounds
at daly elem we have trucks rollong on to playground during recess
cell cos do not vet employees
no security checks

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Big deal. Drive by one. I would say fire hazard from back up generator and other industrial aspects to cell tower is just as much of an issue as radiation hazard. And operator error also an issue. In the right frequency with the right power level radhaz cooks tissue. And the tower won't just have cell antennas on it. It will be radiating all across the spectrum. Cell company will rent out space to every type of radiating antenna. I would sell my house in a heartbeat before I would live next to a cell tower or let my kid attend a school with one on cite. Total dealbreaker.

I think you need an aluminum foil cap.

Not the PP, but would you be okay with one at your kid's school? Serious question. I inclined to think it's not a huge deal, but if they wanted to put one up at my kid's ES, I'd be a little wary. Do you have any links indicating that this it totally safe?

As an aside, why is Verizon allowed to put these up on any school grounds?

Anonymous wrote:Big deal. Drive by one. I would say fire hazard from back up generator and other industrial aspects to cell tower is just as much of an issue as radiation hazard. And operator error also an issue. In the right frequency with the right power level radhaz cooks tissue. And the tower won't just have cell antennas on it. It will be radiating all across the spectrum. Cell company will rent out space to every type of radiating antenna. I would sell my house in a heartbeat before I would live next to a cell tower or let my kid attend a school with one on cite. Total dealbreaker.

I think you need an aluminum foil cap.

Anonymous wrote:Verizon is proposing one at Parkland MS. Is this really a safety concern or NBD?

http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2015/12/bowers-putting-more-cell-towers-on-red.html

wootton high school

http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2014/05/video-outraged-community-at-wootton.html

Anonymous wrote:Verizon is proposing one at Parkland MS. Is this really a safety concern or NBD?

http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2015/12/bowers-putting-more-cell-towers-on-red.html

and neelsville middle

Big deal. Drive by one. I would say fire hazard from back up generator and other industrial aspects to cell tower is just as much of an issue as radiation hazard. And operator error also an issue. In the right frequency with the right power level radhaz cooks tissue. And the tower won't just have cell antennas on it. It will be radiating all across the spectrum. Cell company will rent out space to every type of radiating antenna. I would sell my house in a heartbeat before I would live next to a cell tower or let my kid attend a school with one on cite. Total dealbreaker.

Verizon is proposing one at Parkland MS. Is this really a safety concern or NBD?

http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2015/12/bowers-putting-more-cell-towers-on-red.html