2018-02-01 Public Testimony Transcript - Cellco Partnership USE 17-074

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HALL: It's going to be the next one, March—March 1st SUZUKI (from audience): March lst? CLARKSON: March lst SUZUKI (from audience): Ok, I'll come back and testify then. Maybe by then I will have a written testimony as well or shall I, shall I bring written testimony before that? HALL: You can do either. If you want to submit early, you can do that, and then if you, but if you just want to bring it that day, you can do that as well, so—but you can come up Ms. Ohara. CLARKSON: And, you're Eileen? OHARA: I am. CLARKSON: Would you please raise your right hand? Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter before the Commission today? OHARA: I so affirm. CLARKSON: Would you please state your name for the record and then continue. OHARA: My name is M. Eileen Ohara, and the reason—thank you, Commissioners. I understand that this is being postponed to a later date, but I can't be sure that I'll be able to make that, so I thought I'd take this opportunity since I am available right now, and it's good to see some new faces on the Commission. Welcome, everyone. As you may be aware, I do represent District 4 on the County Council, and this particular application is in that district, and I have heard from nearby residents about some concerns, but there's a broader picture that I wanted to speak to because I feel this is perhaps something that we need to eventually codify with regard to siting cell towers. My experience in the District of Puna, in the subdivisions of Puna, has been that we have a much more positive response to siting cell towers when it is done on communally held land. In my experience in Hawaiian Shores Community Association, we went forth with a cell tower in 2011, and it was decided to place it in the most remote location that we could provide that still met the demands of the cellular service providers. And, that was on lands that was held by the Homeowners' Association at the end of the dead-end street up against a large State parcel of land so that the nearest residence was more than 200 feet away. Do be aware that in spite of efforts to mitigate noise, there is an incessant hum that comes from these operations. So, trying to get that distance from nearby residents is really, really critical. In that instance, we had to—it was required that we get three-quarters of the membership of the Homeowners' Association to agree and that went forward and we got that and so we built the EXHIBIT B 2