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

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tower. Nanawale has also built [a] tower on their held community association lands and that has worked out well as has Leilani. Not only does it help to prevent some land use conflicts within these subdivisions of Puna, it also provides an alternative revenue for the homeowners' association so they're not fully dependent on the membership fees, assessments that are issued annually. In this case, we're talking Paradise Park, 8,800 lots, and they are rapidly being built on. We're well over 5,500 built -out lots in the subdivision approaching 6,000. We're about two-thirds built out in HPP, and while it is zoned Agricultural, the subdivisions of Puna, one has to understand were zoned Agricultural under terms that we don't have on the Codes today. Meaning, we don't agricultural lands that are less than five acres. But, back when, we did the substandard subdivisions. They were zoned Agricultural. That being said, these non -conforming ag lots are mainly being used for rural residential, not agriculture, and so the build out in Paradise Park is increasing rapidly, and I am concerned that the proximity of this tower on a privately held parcel will potentially impact the neighbors in that area. Many people are concerned about radio-frequency waves and things like that. There's also the noise factor, and, ultimately, there's the sight, our scenic impact, visual impact of cell towers. I have found that it's best to work with a third party, cellular construction company. In the case of Hawaiian Shores Community Association, we dealt with a company, Vista Towers, and the reason I say that is when you have a sole carrier application, Verizon Wireless and/or AT&T, the towers are not built to accommodate the other pertinences of the other carriers. When you use a third -party tower construction company, they will build the tower and accommodate all the major carriers to site their appurtenances on that tower. A 150 -foot tower can easily accommodate three or four cellular carriers. You have to have the 10 -foot vertical distance to shield, and they can still get the gain that they're looking for in terms of coverage. So, I think that this is some issue that we might want to consider codifying at some point because if we just allow sole carrier towers to be built, we're doubling and tripling the number of cell towers that might eventually be built in the County of Hawaii which is more of a visual blight. It doesn't really benefit the residents since we can site on single towers. So, these are some of the issues I brought forward. I'd likeI said I've been in contact with some of the nearby residents to this particular lot. They have some health concerns about it and what not. I'm not saying I don't share those. I'm just, that's not why I came before you today `cause I think this is an important issue that we need to consider how to properly advance construction of cell towers on the Big Island. We need the coverage. Absolutely. So, that's what I brought to you today. Thank you very much. Any questions? CLARKSON: I'm sorry. There won't be any questions OHARA: Oh, that's right. CLARKSON: —from the Commission today, but your testimony is now part of the record for this application. EXHIBIT B 3