Local residents Martin Sadd (left) and Jacob de Raadt, who are neighbours who live near the proposed site where Rogers Communications wants to build a 35-metre cellphone tower near 122nd Avenue, were both pleased to hear that Rogers has agreed to send senior officials to Osoyoos to participate in a public hearing. No date or location has been finalized for the public hearing, but Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff believes it will take place before the end of March and all local citizens will be duly notified. KEITH LACEY
Town of Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff has confirmed management from Rogers Communications has agreed to host a public hearing in Osoyoos after several residents launched complaints about the proposed installation of a 35-metre cellphone tower in the heart of local vineyards.
The date and location of the public hearing hasn’t been confirmed, but it’s likely to take place before the end of March, said McKortoff.
Even though the tower is located on land located in the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) near 122nd Avenue not far from the Shell gas station on Hwy. 97 on the north edge of town limits, McKortoff said she and members of town council had heard enough complaints to get involved.
She placed a call to Rogers management last week and a manager confirmed that the company is “more than willing” to hold a public hearing in Osoyoos, likely within the next month, said McKortoff.
“They are willing to hold a public meeting where they will listen to concerns and answer questions … and they made it clear they would like to do it as quickly as possible,” said McKortoff. “It should take place within the next month. It will be advertised and everyone in the community will know about it.”
Martin Sadd and Jacob de Raadt, who live close to each other near the proposed cellphone tower, started a petition three weeks ago stating their opposition to the proposal.
They have generated more than 300 signatures over the last three weeks, said Sadd.
While he’s pleased Rogers has agreed to hold a public hearing in Osoyoos, he won’t be satisfied until the company decides to scrap the project and install the cellphone tower in a more appropriate location, said Sadd.
“I will be impressed when they say the are going to move it somewhere else or not proceed at all,” he said.
If not for the public pressure applied by local residents since Rogers announced they would be filing a proposal with Industry Canada to build the large cellphone tower in Osoyoos, this project would likely have proceeded quickly, said Sadd.
“Rogers hired a public relations firm to handle all of the complaints and the only goal of this company was to get this project pushed through as quickly as possible,” he said. “Fortunately, the public found out and is fighting back.”
Sadd said he’s looking forward to attending the public hearing.
“I have a lot of questions,” he said.
McKortoff admitted she and other members of council have received a lot of emails and phone calls since last week’s front-page article in the Osoyoos Times about the proposed cellphone tower application.
Even though the tower would be located on RDOS land, it’s close enough to the town that it would affect a lot of Osoyoos residents, she said.
As elected officials, it’s pertinent that she and members of council have access to important information on every matter they discuss and vote on and holding a public hearing about the proposed cellphone tower is the best way to proceed at this point in time, said McKortoff.
“Our job as a council is to look at all of the issues and not make any declarations or resolutions without looking at all the information,” she said. “A public hearing will allow local residents to voice their concerns and have some serious questions answered and allow council to get important information we need.”
As Mayor of Osoyoos, McKortoff has a position on the RDOS board and when she brought up this issue at the last meeting, she was informed the Regional District is currently formulating an official bylaw relating to cellphone towers, she said.
“We realized as the RDOS board that having a huge, 35-metre tower could affect a lot of us in our community,” she said.
When she contacted Rogers’s management, she was pleasantly surprised that they were so receptive to dealing with the controversy about this cellphone tower proposal and would be willing to hold a public hearing in a timely manner, she said.
A letter she sent to Rogers and Industry Canada does state that she believes another location should be considered if the company does plan to proceed with a large cellphone tower in or near Osoyoos, said McKortoff.
“The letter does suggest that another location would be preferred … we’re not sure where yet,” she said.
She hasn’t received a single phone call, email or inquiry that is in favour of the proposed location by Rogers over the past two weeks, said McKortoff.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
