A Saanich resident believes the district could have done more to aid his fight against a proposed telecommunication tower near his home.

Wes Solomonson said Saanich could have sent a signal against the proposed tower, measuring nearly 30 metres in height, if council had voted to reject the application by Freedom Mobile / Cypress Land Services, to build the structure on a property bordering his rural home near the Patricia Bay Highway.

The cellphone company plans to build the tower at 5420 Alderly Rd. near trees that stand on SolomonsonB次元官网网址檚 property.

Council approved the on the basis of a staff recommendation over objections from Solomonson and other residents, who had spoken at the meeting. While Couns. Susan Brice and Colin Plant acknowledged their concerns during deliberations, both said that the final decision rests with the federal government and not Saanich.

B次元官网网址淭his is not our domain,B次元官网网址� said Plant. B次元官网网址淲e can even say no, and they [the federal government] can still approve it,B次元官网网址� he said.

Solomonson does not buy this argument. B次元官网网址淚 think that is a cop-out,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hey did have a say in the matter. If they had said, B次元官网网址榬elocate it,B次元官网网址� there would have been a great impact.B次元官网网址�

Perhaps. While Saanich does not have any approval authority, its rejection might have spurred Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to conduct additional consultations in cooperation with the municipality. This said, the applicant could have also asked for direct approval without changing the plans or revise them before re-submitting them for review and council consideration.

The Saanich B次元官网网址 has contacted both the company and the federal government for additional information about the status of the application but has not heard back.

Solomonson, not surprisingly, would like to see the proposed tower move to a different location on the designated property, or a different lot elsewhere. This said, he has not yet contacted the federal government.

Solomonson acknowledged the need for cell-phone towers, but questioned the chosen location.

B次元官网网址淢y main concern probably is the value to the property,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e have no intention of selling or putting it on the market. But when the time comes, and if we did, and whether it is medical concerns or otherwise, there still is a perception that there is a problem, and that is going to affect the value of the house and the land.B次元官网网址�

Solomonson also questioned language in the Saanich staff report that endorsed the application.

B次元官网网址淲hile the tower would be partially visible from the highway in both directions, it would be set well back from the highway and partly screened by mature trees,B次元官网网址� said Sharon Hvozdanski, SaanichB次元官网网址檚 director of planning, in the report.

This bothers Solomonson. B次元官网网址淲hat is material to me is the report from council, using the trees growing on my property B次元官网网址� as a justification for putting it so close,B次元官网网址� he said.

According to the same staff report, the bylaw permitting cell-phone towers does not hold them B次元官网网址渟ubject to any siting, height, or other regulations contained in the bylawB次元官网网址� because of their public use. In other, the bylaw grants planning authorities considerable leeway.

The report also said that the applicant consulted all properties located B次元官网网址渨ithin a radius three times the tower heightB次元官网网址� as measured from the tower base or the outside perimeter of the supporting structure, whichever is greater B次元官网网址� 90 metres in this case.

Freedom Mobile plans to install three panel antennas and two microwave dishes at the top of the tower and two accessory equipment cabinets at the base. The antenna and microwaves would be B次元官网网址渇lushB次元官网网址� mounted on the pole to make them less visible. The pole would be tapered and painted green to blend with the surrounding trees. The company has also promised to improve and maintain the driveway that leads off Alderly Road to SolomonsonB次元官网网址檚 house and the future site of the tower.

Solomonson shares his home with his wife, his son, his daughter and her two children. He acknowledges his homeB次元官网网址檚 remote location relative to other parts of Saanich means his concerns will likely not resonate with the rest of the community. He is also not sure whether appealing to the federal government will make any difference. But the frustrations of the mild-spoken homeowner are nonetheless coming across loud and clear.

B次元官网网址淲e recognize that microwave towers are a necessity,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e have accepted that it is going to happen to us, whether we say anything or otherwise. IB次元官网网址檓 disappointed in the process.B次元官网网址�