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San Francisco Might Allow Public to Block Ugly Cell Towers

Article Comments  35  

Aug 12, 2010, 3:51 PM   by Eric M. Zeman   @phonescooper

The City of San Francisco is considering a new ordinance that would allow residents and business owners to object to the placement or installation of new cell towers based solely on their aesthetics. Federal laws state that the public can't block new towers if standard safety conditions are met, but the new law proposed in San Francisco would permit the public to block new cell tower antennas from being built on public land. Complaints filed by the public over such matters would initiate a public hearing to discuss the antenna, its appearance and placement. The ordinance has yet to be passed into law. It would not affect how new antennas are approved for use on private land. Apple CEO Steve Jobs recently lamented that it takes as long as three years for new cell phone towers to be approved and built in the San Francisco area.

more info at SF Examiner »



This forum is closed.

This forum is closed.


Aug 12, 2010, 5:05 PM

Dumb and Dumber-er

Wow for a state thats already BILLIONS of dollars in the hole and for the city that complains TOO DAM much about their CRAPPY cell service....I can see why now...too many idiots in that area
You are talking about a city that bans children from parks so the residents dogs can run free. What do you expect?

Aug 13, 2010, 3:15 PM

block cheap/old cars next??

i only want mercedes, bmw, expensive cars parking on my street!
Not there, it better be a Prius.

Aug 12, 2010, 4:45 PM

Good... Save your money!!

To all Carriers,

Stop building/fixing towers in San Fransisco, take that money you would use fighting for towers and save that money to roll out 4G everywhere BUT San Francisco. Take all cellphone towers down and force the citizens there to purchase microcells (I just got one its great). That way you would make money off the hardware AND not have to have any maintenance fees or legal fees associated with building cellphone towers in a city that doesn't want any.

Let me reiterate who I am. I do not work nor have I ever worked for a cellphone company. I purchased an iPhone and it opened my eyes to the world of cellphone technology.

lol @ sould like my cousin when he got his iPhone 4 Laughing
This actually already happens in many affluent parts of the country. However, unlike this San Francisco proposition, they don't come out and make it a blatant law. In their cases, the proposed cell tower gets "re-zoned" indefinitely until the carrie...

Aug 13, 2010, 2:41 PM

Rainbow motif towers with round domes!

Hypocritical discrimination from the city that is the staunchest promoter of respecting diversity! Eh?

Aug 13, 2010, 10:43 AM

And these are the very same snobs..

Who will walk into your store and demand a credit be placed on their account because they dropped a call two weeks ago.

It's a good thing the Ocean water levels are rising in conjunction with an increase of earthquakes along the California fault lines....
Very true. It's a joke. "why don't I have service I pay good money for this and i've been a customer for over 50 years! I need a credit or a free phone or i'm switching!" Good old people eh?

Aug 12, 2010, 7:54 PM

Stupidest ordinance ever!

I'm about as liberal as you can get and believe that communities have every right to protect themselves, but this is just ridiculous. I think everyone else hit the nail on the head stating how ironic it is that such an ordinance is being considered by the same people who constantly complain (and rightfully so) about crap wireless service.

Something else that makes this ordinance stupid to the point of being almost unenforceable is that it's basically saying that towers that are "ugly" can be blocked. Obviously, ugly is an incredibly subjective word. Given that SF is trying to pass a new ordinance every other day nowadays, will their next idea to pass an ordinance against gas pumps because they're necessary but "ugly?" How about "ugly" art...
"Ugly" san fran citizens Laughing

Aug 12, 2010, 5:24 PM

It's Just a Matter of Priorities

They should just take a poll of San Franciscans and see what the majority finds more important: cell signal, or aesthetics?
they did, its called an election. According to the elected politicians the majority finds aesthetics more important
why would you care?

Aug 12, 2010, 8:06 PM

no wonder CA is going bankrubpt

keep up the good work CA
flip mode

Aug 12, 2010, 4:47 PM

Gone San Fran Stupid!


One thing that amazes me time after time is how dumb some people can get. They whine so much in San Fran and similar areas about how crappy their service is with their carrier. Then they try to block towers from being built and or they wanna dress them up like a poodle or something. Laughing
I agree, this ordinance in san-fran is completely gay, no pun intended.
Agreed, the next time I am talking to a customer whining and screaming about poor service and reception in the San Francisco Bay Area I am going to bring this up and see what they have to say....if you want to improve your reception stop voting for la...

Aug 12, 2010, 7:02 PM

Brilliant idea!

Brilliant, that is, if you don't want cell service. Do the politicians not understand where cell phone signal comes from? Towers aren't the prettiest things in the world (not the ugliest either), but they're absolutely necessary if you want cell service!.


Aug 12, 2010, 6:13 PM


why does sf bit*% about every little thing. possible, its a tower, now the same laymen who complained about a rev a or wimax tower being built two feet from his home, will call us the carrier and complain that he is dropping calls or has poor quality, hey sf dou*he bags go jump off that big orange bridge. Twisted Evil
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