Gary Middle School
'Not in our school yards' Gary residents say about cell phone towers
Contributed By: The 411 News
Gary Middle School and Banneker Elementary are being considered as sites
A decision to allow cell phone towers at 2 of its buildings will come at its next meeting, the Board of School Trustees for Gary Community School Corp. told an anxious audience Wednesday evening.
Some had come to object to the Crown Castle proposal to place cell phone towers at Gary Middle School and Banneker Elementary School, both in the Miller neighborhood.
The company’s website says it is the nation's largest provider of shared communications infrastructure—cell towers, small cells, and fiber. Crown Castle builds and operates the towers and rents space on them to wireless companies such as AT&T and Verizon.
Crown Castle spokesman Patrick Donovan, who appeared by video, is offering the district $17,400 a year for each site, with a 3% annual increase. Crown Castle is asking for a 50-year lease.
The 120-150 foot tower at GMS will sit on a 70’ by 70’ foot fenced parcel; the shorter Banneker tower, 110-120 foot, will occupy a similar space.
“Radiation effects on children are more serious than on adults. Their developing brains and organs are more sensitive to environmental stressors,” Atty. Tracy Coleman told the board. “We know Gary has high asthma and high cancer rates. I ask the board not to allow another environmental stressor to affect the minds of children in our care.”
Donovan said people get more radiation from the cell phone in their pocket than from a cell phone tower. “The tower at Banneker will be placed 250 feet from the school; at GMS, it will be 800 feet away,” he said.
Other communities, like Gary have objected to cell phone towers and cited health hazards although no direct link has been found.
According to the American Cancer Society, “At this time, there’s no strong evidence that exposure to RF waves from cell phone towers causes any noticeable health effects. However, this does not mean that the RF waves from cell phone towers have been proven to be absolutely safe. Most expert organizations agree that more research is needed to help clarify this, especially for any possible long-term effects.”
The school board asked Donovan to submit a list of school sites that have cell phone towers. Board president Michael Suggs said a vote on the towers will be held at the September 11th meeting.
Story Posted:08/30/2024
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