At the City’s special meeting and community workshop on cell antenna policy on November 28, 2018 (nine months before the Council voted on the new cell antenna policy) the City’s hired “expert”, William Hammett from Hammett & Edison, made a presentation to the Council. In his presentation he discussed the use of directional antennas.
This is relevant to the permitting of cell antennas. A directional antenna is a way for a wireless provider to provide a signal in one direction but not 360 degrees around. For example if there is a City owned light pole at a public high school, which is obviously the reason the provider wants to install a cell antenna there, the City can permit a directional antenna which will send a signal toward the high school but not toward the residential neighborhood right across the street.
That still begs the question of whether it is necessary, intelligent or safe for the City to allow a provider to blast high school students, teachers and staff with pulsed, modulated, 24/7 electromagnetic radiation. What is the purpose? Faster downloads? Is that why we build schools? The real purpose appears to be to get high school students hooked on the use of their phone so they remain hooked for the rest of their lives.
A directional antenna makes possible a policy option as described.
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