Commission Gives Thumbs up for Balboa St. Cellular Antennae Site

The SF Planning Commission approved a plan by Sprint PCS to put two cellular antennae on top of a PG&E substation at the corner of 24th Avenue and Balboa Street.

Because of the location of the antenna site, about 100 feet from the Cabrillo Elementary School, there was some initial consternation among residents and school parents. But any fears were apparently mollified at public meetings because no one spoke in opposition to the project at the planning commission hearing.

According to Robert Krebs, a representative of Sprint, there were three community meetings with various people, including the principal at Cabrillo, to answer questions about the plan. He said Sprint is limited in its positioning of the antennae on the roof because they must be "line of sight" to be effective, yet under 40 feet in height to conform with city law. The antennae would be about nine feet tall, bringing the total project to a total of 39 feet, eight inches tall.

Kenneth Chin, the planning department planner assigned to the project, told commissioners that the two antennae were to be located five feet back from the corner of the building and that there would be a base receiver as part of the project. He said one letter favoring the project and one opposing it were submitted.

City guidelines call for cellular antennae to not be located on school buildings because of the possibility that children could be susceptible to the adverse effects of electromagnetic radiation, although there currently is no scientific evidence to back up that claim.

The Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the project if a facade can be built around the perimeter of the PG&E's building to hide the antennae. The telecommunications company wanted to locate the antennae in round cylinders on the roof of the building, but commissioners weren't convinced.

Commissioners left the door open to Sprint's original plan as proposed, however, if PG&E denies Sprint's plan to locate a facade on its building.