I have read the article about the proposal to place Verizon cellular tower in Addison Township near Hosner and Oakwood roads.

I would like to ask our communities help and support in moving this to a more fitting location. The site they have proposed is very risky and a poor fit for what they, Verizon, want to achieve, which is to better serve and provide more coverage of the cellular service.

Not only is this parcel next to a Kindergarten School and Playground (Kingsbury Country Day), it is a Very LOW swampy parcel that would have difficulty making a good foundation for the enormous tower. Whereby the likelihood of it falling over would be great. Risking lives at the school and property.

This is not to mention what a study published on the American Cancer Society website (http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/athome/cellular-phone-towers) has found:

“Researchers compared a group of more than 2,600 children with cancer to a group of similar children without cancer. They found that those who lived in a town that could have exposed them to higher than average RF radiation from cellular phone towers in the previous five years had a slightly higher risk of cancer, although not of any certain type of cancer (like leukemia or brain tumors). This study estimated the children’s possible exposure based on the number of towers in their town and how strong the signals were from the towers.”

Obviously a cellular tower that is only 100 to 200 feet away is VERY CLOSE and with that closeness the highest amount of exposure.

The topography of the parcel is very poor for the tower (The proposed site is a very low area. Please see the topographic map at http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/spatialdatalibrary/pdf_maps/topomaps/county_files/oakland/oakland_topo.htm) and its placement in relation to other towers is better suited for the Mulberry Hills Golf course, only 1/2 mile or less away from the proposed site.

But, is the same distance from the nearest cell tower(s) as the Cellular Tower Location Maps show. The Golf Couse property is the most ideal as its topography shows it has over 150-200 feet higher than that of the proposed property, giving Verizon a greater clear air space, as to what they want for achieving greater distances of service.

As for the service improvement needed by the location of a tower, according to Opensignal.com, the need of an additional cell service tower would be best placed toward the direction of the golf course. South, and more west.

I have contacted the Mulberry Hills Golf Couse and their representative was very interested in the proposition of having the cell tower on their property.

I believe Addison Township officials should be more willing to look at this in a better fit in all facets rather than only monetarily.

Verizon would better serve its customers by placing it in the Mulberry Hills Golf Couse property. Most likely in the rear of the property as that has the highest topology and would not be readily seen by anyone other than deer and bad golfers who lose their ball.

Ron Renaud

Addison Township

Editor’s Note:

Mr. Renaud’s quotation from the American Cancer Society regarding the study left off the last two sentences of that paragraph, which are pertinent.

The end of the paragraph read, “It (the study) did not look at actual exposure of any individual child based on how far their home or school was from a tower. This limitation reduces confidence in the results of the study.”

Also, towards the top of the web page – under the heading “Do cellular phone towers cause cancer?” – the American Cancer Society states, “Some people have expressed concern that living, working, or going to school near a cell phone tower might increase the risk of cancer or other health problems. At this time, there is very little evidence to support this idea.”