We are concerned San Clemente residents that want to ensure any new cell towers installed are a safe distance away from homes and schools.

We acknowledge the need for adequate cell coverage for all San Clemente residents. We urge the city to only allow technology that will keep cell towers further away from homes and schools instead of closer.

We are concerned that the greater number of small cell sites needed for the new 5G technology will create a large amount of cell sites all around us. AT&T has proposed 13 towers to cover only limited areas of San Clemente. Each cell carrier will likely need to install their own towers to offer similar service options, requiring many towers in our city.

Outdated FCC guidelines focus only on thermal heating risks from radio frequencies (RF) but dozens of more recent studies, and collections of scientists and countries around the world, recognize the potential health risks of living too close to a cell tower (often defined as closer than 300-400 meters). Additionally, we are concerned about the potential use of new and controversial 5G technology on these towers.

Additionally, the towers could be unsightly and block ocean views. Another consequence of cell towers close to your home is that they could lower your home price.

We call for the City Council to aggressively work on small cell permit ordinances that will provide guidance on where small cell towers could be located. Many other California cities have created such laws, such as keeping cell towers out of residential zones.

We are fortunate to live in a community with ample open space around us and we implore the cell phone companies to move the proposed towers farther away from existing homes and schools.

When signing the petition, please provide your address in the comments. We want to make sure the City Council knows that San Clemente residents are concerned about this issue.

Thank you.