St. Catherine church won’t get wireless antennas, AT&T says

AT&T, responding to community outcry, has decided to drop a plan to install wireless equipment in an existing tower at St. Catherine of Siena Parish to boost service in Laguna Beach.

The company recently withdrew its application to “reevaluate coverage objectives in the area,” Alexandra Krasov, communications director for AT&T California, said Wednesday.

Opposition from neighbors of the church, at 1042 Temple Terrace, was one reason the company decided to halt plans for the installation of equipment that would have included nine radio antennas, Krasov said.

“We build sites all around California; it’s not like we’ve never had a community that has expressed opposition,” Krasov said. “If we encounter [opposition], we talk to residents and try to work with them to address concerns.”

Krasov said the company’s aim was to provide more consistent coverage to customers, knowing that the number of people trying to connect to a wireless network can vary from day to day. Just because a person has full coverage doesn’t mean he or she won’t experience delays, she added.

The Laguna Beach Planning Commission officially signed off on AT&T’s withdrawal last week.

Planners initially approved the equipment Dec. 10. But resident Tyler Rootlieb filed an appeal with the commission Dec. 24 arguing that the antennas would release harmful radiation into the neighborhood.

“There are numerous residences surrounding the proposed location that have elevations in direct line with the proposed equipment,” the appeal says. “These residences will be exposed to continuous emissions of radiation.”

The appeal also claimed that AT&T did not consider other sites before deciding on the church.

“The applicant provided no explanation describing technical limitations of locating towers at the elevation in the commercial zone within the proposed service area apart from a statement claiming it was too low,” Rootlieb’s appeal says.

The Rev. Ken Schmit said Tuesday that the church had not entered into any written contract with AT&T.

The idea for a wireless tower at the church followed complaints by AT&T customers of dropped calls and spotty service last fall.

In September, the Laguna Beach City Council determined the service problems were an urgent matter requiring its intervention and that St. Catherine of Siena was a willing participant. Elizabeth Pearson, mayor at the time, said ensuring that residents have adequate cellular service in case of an emergency was paramount.

Initially many thought the problems were caused by the removal of wireless antennas from atop the Artists’ Theater at Laguna Beach High School in July.

But it was later discovered that an antenna on the Moorhead Reservoir was under repair and probably responsible for much of the dropped calls and spotty service.

The city is still interested in identifying potential wireless sites, Community Development Director Greg Pfost wrote in an email.