Stouffville residents back MP’s efforts to stop cell tower

Stouffville Sun-Tribune
April 5, 2014
By Chris Traber

Today’s hastily organized, albeit well publicized, public meeting concerning the installation of a Rogers cell tower in the centre of Stouffville didn’t start out well for Oak Ridges-Markham MP Paul Calandra.

Originally slated for a meeting room in neighbouring Stouffville Creek Retirement Residence, the erstwhile hosts feared a possible flu outbreak might jeopardize visitors’ health.

The forum was moved to the smaller waiting room of the town’s GO station.

Shoulder to shoulder, the mystified and miffed waited, wanting to know how a tawdry 30-metre cell tower in the centre of the town they so anxiously want to revitalize received Whitchurch-Stouffville council approval, seemingly under the public radar.

After handing out bottled water and copies of a plan on how the MP intends to re-visit the issue with town council and Rogers, a petition for signatures and two hours of lively constituent commentary, the relief in the over-heated little train station was palpable.

Mr. Calandra’s briefing reiterated the processes leading to the meeting, the apparent lack of public consultation and the ambiguities relating to how a cell tower gets approved.

“It’s strange, no comment from a municipal council means ‘yes’ to the federal government,” he said. “When that happens, power is taken out of our hands.”

Assuring the gathering he’s not in the habit of meddling with local council, he felt prompted to step in after he, like most residents, were unaware the nine-storey cell tower was approved in principle.

“As of right now, Rogers could start building the tower tomorrow,” he said.

Allaying fears, he advised he’s been working with Rogers to discuss alternative locations, hinting the matter might be deferred until technology affords a smaller, less intrusive tower outside the town core that still delivers strong reception. The stack of petitions, letters and emails he’s received from local opponents to the tower will accompany his request that council “immediately hold an emergency meeting to reconsider their position on the proposed Rogers Communications cell tower ... taking into account all public comment.”

“Today is your opportunity to voice opinion,” he said.

“No,” was the resounding chorus in reply to Mr. Calandra asking whether the attendees wanted a tower in the midst of the historic town.

Mr. Calandra was preaching to the choir.

“There’s no reason to put a tower in the middle of our heritage district,” said one man.

“We had no idea what was going on until we heard from you, our MP,” said a woman.

“I live 50 metres from the proposed tower and I never received notice,” said an attendee.

“Stouffville is an historic town, a cell tower is not,” one woman added, defining the idea as ludicrous.

“Didn’t anyone think we wouldn’t notice it?” asked another, inspiring laughter. “Thank you for calling the meeting. It’s now clear to Rogers and council that we don’t want the tower.”

However, the 11th-hour intervention by the MP isn’t sitting well with Whitchurch-Stouffville Mayor Wayne Emmerson.

“Council and I are having bit of a dilemma,” Mr. Calandra said.

Paraphrasing an email he received from the mayor on Friday, the MP said the missive suggested that henceforth the town will say no to every tower.

“He’s calling on me to take down every tower in town,” Mr. Calandra said. “I’ll let you decide if that’s a mature response.”

Post meeting, Mr. Calandra said he and Mr. Emmerson have enjoyed a strong six-year working relationship.

“Right now we have a big difference in opinion,” he said. “The town was silent on the issue. The ball was dropped on communication. Now, the town is relying on me to address cell tower concerns.”

While council was invited to the meeting, only a trio of councillors attended. Ward 6 Councillor Rob Hargrave, Ward 4’s Susan Hilton and Ward 2 Councillor Phil Bannon observed in silence.

Mr. Bannon, who is running for the mayor’s post in October’s election, was conciliatory.

“I’m pleased to be part of today’s process,” he said. “We need to be more inclusive. We’re all responsible. The public and all levels of government need to be engaged.

“Unfortunately, the public didn’t participate in the municipal (cell tower) process.”

He’s baffled why only one person attended a mid-January public consultation despite the town’s due diligence, including publishing an ad in the local newspaper and online notifications.

“Don’t know, perhaps it’s apathy,” Mr. Bannon said. “We see now that we have to be better at promoting and marketing the process.

“I will ask council to reconsider today’s issue and our policies.”

At a glance: Stouffville cell tower power tussle

Despite Whitchurch-Stouffville council allowing Roger’s Communications to forward their application for a new cell tower in downtown Stouffville to the federal government, Oak Ridges-Markham MP Paul Calandra called Saturday’s public meeting to gain further public input.

Council had set a procedure in place for cell tower applications in 2011. The town effectively approves an application from an applicant and then forwards it to Industry Canada for a decision.

Mr. Calandra was not happy with the process and was upset he was not notified of the council meeting. Town council said Rogers had complied with all municipal regulations.

The 30-metre tower and its possible location has been a point of contention among residents and tension between Mr. Calandra and council and Mayor Wayne Emmerson. The MP, whose Main Street office is some 200 metres away from the tower’s potential 20 Freel Lane site, said insufficient public consultation lead to Saturday’s forum.

The first and only meeting for community input was held Jan 16, he said. Only one person attended despite the town’s assertion residents and businesses within 120 metres of the proposed tower location were notified about the meeting 30 days in advance. A sign was posted on the property, the town’s director of planning and building services and acting CAO Andrew McNeely said.

The sign, until recently, was rendered illegible by snow, the MP said, adding the process was “a modest effort ... to notify and consult the community of such a potentially intrusive development”.

The tower could tentatively be built beside Stouffville Creek Retirement Residence. A petition against the tower’s location was signed by less than half of Stouffville Creek residents and presented to council March 18.

Mr. Calandra’s efforts to revisit the issue has renewed awareness. The move has its supporters and detractors.

Mayor Emmerson, along with Andrew McNeely, the town’s director of planning and building services, as well as acting CAO, do not know why there is so much backlash to this application now.