INSIDE

Cell towers, water quality concerns board

By Meg Olson

“I’ve had people here before but never so hot,” water district manager Dan Bourks told commissioners as they considered a request from Verizon Wireless to access district property as they explore the possibility of installing a facility on district property.

“They want a right of entry to do some surveying and soil samples,” Bourks said at the March 10 commissioners meeting. In a March 3 letter on behalf of the cellular phone provider, Andrew King of The Meridian Group wrote, “Verizon is interested in leasing ground space for a cellular communications facility at the water district’s Benson Road water tank property.” King described the proposed facility as a “100 to 150-foot tall tower with antennas mounted on top.” The antennas would be connected by coaxial cables to a small equipment shelter at the tower’s base, and the total facility footprint is predicted to be less than 2,500 feet.

Commissioners agreed to give Verizon right of entry to study the suitability of the site but agreed they would look into the proposal further once the company decided if they wanted to proceed. “It’s a pretty innocuous site and it would probably benefit a lot of people,” said commissioner Arthur Wilkowski, referring to the possibility of improved cellular phone reception for the point if the project went ahead.

“I don’t think it would really impact anyone,” Bourks agreed. “It’s a chance for revenue for the district and I think most people would applaud it.” He added preliminary research indicated rent could bring in approximately $2,000 month for the district.

In other business, Bourks reported the anticipated bad news had been confirmed by recent testing – the district was officially out of compliance with federal drinking water standards for levels of chlorination by-products in the water supply. “You do not need to use an alternate water supply,” Bourks read from a warning the state health department is requiring the district to send its customers. “This is not an imminent risk.” Bourks said modifications to the water system now in progress would alleviate the problem, as would anticipated upgrades to the Vancouver water system in 2007. “We’d like to remedy the situation but it’s going to take some time,” Wilkowski said.