HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0110.010 2024-2026PIPOLUW
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Aloha, Council Members. Thankyou foryourtime and service.
My name is Norman Kawabata, of Kaumana City, where a 180 foot cell tower is currently
being built - despite community protest- in order for Renegade Towers and cellular -
companies to profit at the expense of my community and the health of our keiki. I I'm here'
as a concerned and engaged citizen and 1 hope you will take my testimony to heart,,',,
Bill 24 is a good start but it is not enough.
The Permitting process failed us. Despite that, I do not think the permitting process should
be removed. It should still stay in place.
• Rather, the requirements proposed in this Bill- in particular the 1200 foot minimum
required distance from homes & schools - should be added as firm requirements in
order for the a cell tower Use Permit to be approved.
• The second thing I would like to propose is that the requirements of Bill 24 be ex
post facto and apply to existing cell towers in all the zones where
Telecommunication antennas and towers -- as permitted under Section 25-4-12—
currently require a Use Permit.
o Because otherwise you are further burdening these communities and putting
the citizens at increased risk and detriment by making all future antennas be
co -located on the towers that are already less than 1200 feet away from
neighborhoods and homes.
o Section 7 - d - 2 of this draft of Bill 24 specifies that "Telecommunication
towers must be sited at least 1,200 feet from nearby residences and
schools." I believe you must have a factual evidence -based method on
coming up with that 1200 feet. Welt in Kaumana City, the tower is less than
300 feet away from many homes. That is four times less than what would be
the minimum required distance. There needs to be a remedy for these
towers.
o Technology changes so quickly, and the old towers might not have the
structural integrity or minimum safety requirements to accommodate the
new technology.
• The third thing that this bill needs to address is the additional risk to communities
with water catchment systems.
• Fourth, in section 7- j of this draft Bill, it specifies "Within 120 days of permanent
abandonment of the tower, the applicant shall remove the tower and its antenna
and accessory structures.
o This is not enough. The County needs to think long term and strategically.
Again, technology moves quickly. Before you know, many of these towers
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and antennas wilt be obsolete. If Renegade Towers justified putting the tower
up in Kaumana City instead of the originally sited location further up Dan K
Inouye highway because $1 million was "too cost prohibitive" then how are
they going to afford to take down the tower? You know what will happen
when it's time to take the towers down ... They will just file for bankruptcy
Leaving this County and our community with no recourse for the abandoned
tower. A fund needs to be established where these companies like Renegade
need to contribute into the fund when building the tower to ensure it will be
dismantled in the future. Remember... Renegade Towers LLC is the owner of
the tower. ATT, Verizon, T-Mobile.., they are not the owners of the tower. They
just pay rent to Renegade. Renegade Towers LLC.
• Another point for your consideration: instead of high voltage cell towers with high RF
emissions, we have a lot of poles - phone poles, electric poles - that can host mesh
technology for 5G.
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