Giovanni Borella pays $375 per month for a top-floor apartment with all new fixtures and a great view.

But heB次元官网网址檚 willing to give it all up to get away from what he fears are damaging radio frequencies overhead.

The Greater Victoria Housing Society, which runs his 52-unit building in Esquimalt, leases space on its rooftop to three telecommunications companies, which have set up numerous cellphone antennas.

B次元官网网址淪ome of the research IB次元官网网址檝e been doing on my own indicates that there is a potential health hazard for so many of those cell phone towers to be in close proximity to people,B次元官网网址� Borella said.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 literally 15 feet from this conglomeration of cellphone towers.B次元官网网址�

Several current or past residents of Constance Court, at 1325 Esquimalt Rd., have brought their concerns recently to Esquimalt council.

Council directed township staff to look into whether local governments have the ability to respond to this type of concern.

The short answer is no.

B次元官网网址淐ourts have held that parameters such as the height and location of the antenna sites are vital to telecommunications,B次元官网网址� stated a staff report discussed at the June 18 council meeting.

Therefore, local government regulations do not apply if they impair the ability of telecommunications companies to place antennas in optimal locations, it continued.

Esquimalt council found the answer unacceptable.

B次元官网网址淢unicipalities should have jurisdiction, just as they do over all other land-use decisions, over the location and level of these telecommunications antennas in their community,B次元官网网址� Coun. Tim Morrison said on Tuesday.

B次元官网网址淢unicipalities would then be able to set an appropriate community consultation and approval process, which currently doesnB次元官网网址檛 exist.B次元官网网址�

Council voted unanimously June 18 to send a resolution to that effect to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

Admitting he is no expert on the health and safety of the antennas, Morrison said community aesthetics are of B次元官网网址渉uge concernB次元官网网址� to him.

B次元官网网址淲hen you start putting excessive amounts of these antennas on rooftops all over the community, it starts to have a really negative affect.B次元官网网址�

The issue gets more complicated, however, when it comes to non-profits.

Kaye Melliship, executive director of the Greater Victoria Housing Society, says the antennas represent a significant source of revenue.

Leases with three telecommunications companies bring in $45,500 annually, most of which is allocated to opening new affordable housing projects.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e always looking for money to do our business and keep our housing affordable, so itB次元官网网址檚 very important,B次元官网网址� Melliship said.

While she acknowledged residentsB次元官网网址� concerns, she points out the antennas are properly licensed and regulated.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e going under the assumption that they are perfectly safe, and if you donB次元官网网址檛 believe the science, then you have to make your own choices,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 nothing more we can do about that.B次元官网网址�

Constance Court resident Attila Szabo, however, questions residentsB次元官网网址� ability to make a free choice.

While condo owners can vote on whether to install communications towers, he and other residents at Constance Court werenB次元官网网址檛 given opportunity for input. Moreover, they canB次元官网网址檛 easily find another subsidized apartment, he argued.

B次元官网网址淭he people that want to move out of here are kind of stuck (saying), B次元官网网址楪ee, I donB次元官网网址檛 really feel itB次元官网网址檚 healthy for me, but if I move, I lose my subsidy,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� he said.

rholmen@vicnews.com

Did you know?

B次元官网网址� Here is Health Canada's official view on wireless technology:

B次元官网网址淐ellphone towers consist of antennas and electronic equipment which serve as hubs for cellphones and local wireless networks. B次元官网网址� Health concerns are sometimes expressed by people who live or work near cellphone tower antennas located on towers, poles, water tanks or rooftops. Yet, the consensus of the scientific community is that RF energy from cellphone towers is too low to cause adverse health effects in humans.B次元官网网址�