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Would you want this giant cell tower near your home -- bathing your family in radiation?
This cell tower should be removed.
Cell towers are harmful to humans, animals and plants. The approval process for the Lennar Rose Ridge cell tower contained false, misleading and inaccurate information, the cell tower was not adequately disclosed to homebuyers, the approval had lapsed and families are being bathed in radiation.
The City of Henderson (Nevada) allowed AT&T and Lennar homes to build this giant cell tower next to new homes in the Lennar Rose Ridge community in Henderson, Nevada. There was NO legitimate reason to build this cell tower. This page discusses several key statements from the documents.
Some of the key details are presented below. To read the documents, click here.
In the letter from Black & Veatch (on behalf of AT&T), they addressed the 7 criteria in the Henderson Development Code that must be met for approval of a Conditional use Permit. The letter included a request for approval of an alternative tower structure and a Waiver of Standards for two of the regulations – tower height and setbacks. Clearly, this cell tower should NOT have been approved.
This image shows criteria 4-7 of the 7 criteria for approval of a Conditional Use Permit in Henderson, Nevada.
AT&T did not comply with some of the criteria, provided inaccurate or misleading responses for some items and asked for a Waiver of Standards for two of the regulations -- tower height and setbacks.
Clearly, this cell tower should NOT have been approved.
On page 1 of this letter, AT&T stated "the homes will be built right at setbacks." However, on page 4 of this letter, AT&T said they will violate the 10-foot required corner setback (using only a corner setback of 4 feet 10 inches). To compensate for this violation, AT&T said they will add additional pineapple guava trees "to serve as buffer to reduce any visual impact."
FACT:
Research studies have shown that cell towers should be at least 1/3 mile (more than 500 meters) from homes, schools, hospitals, daycare centers and other structures frequented by human beings.
AT&T admitted that the residential height limit for cell towers was 45 feet. They were asking to build a 64-foot tower that would be 19 feet over the limit. (According to public records, this cell tower is actually 69.9 feet.) In addition, this AT&T cell tower will not be helpful to anyone in the community with a non-AT&T cell phone,
There was no legitimate reason for this cell tower, and it should NOT have been approved.
FACT:
According to publicly available cell tower data, this cell tower is actually 69.9 feet tall -- almost 6 feet higher than what AT&T told the City of Henderson.
AT&T admitted that this cell tower goes against the grain and the norm. The letter also stated that Lennar purchased the property and the lease for the cell tower, so Lennar will receive the revenue. The money that will go to Lennar (for many years for the cell tower lease) is the real reason for the cell tower.
AT&T claimed that this cell tower was needed due to the home automation features in this new development. FACT: This point is invalid. This AT&T cell tower will not be helpful to anyone in the community with a non-AT&T cell phone. Clearly, there was no need for another cell tower in this area and especially not close to residential homes.
FACT:
According to publicly available cell tower data, there are 75 cell towers (over 100 feet high) within 2 miles of this location. And, that number doesn’t include potentially hundreds of cell towers under 100 feet, so another cell tower was definitely NOT needed.
AT&T claimed “The placement of this cell tower will not cause substantial diminution in value; it will be exactly the opposite.” FALSE.
Studies have shown that cell towers cause 20% or more decrease in property values.
AT&T also claimed that buyers would purchase these homes “with the full knowledge of the cell tower.” FALSE.
The builder did NOT mention it to potential homebuyers during visits to the community, did NOT post signs about the cell tower and did NOT put it on the site map. They merely included a disclosure statement in a packet with more than 100 pages of information.
FACT:
Other builders in Las Vegas include cell towers on their site maps, so they are clearly disclosed. Lennar does NOT show this cell tower on the site map for this community, and they did NOT tell buyers about the cell tower when they visited the community.
AT&T claimed there would be no impact on traffic because this cell tower is an “unmanned facility.” FALSE.
Maintenance teams visit the cell tower on a frequent basis – sometimes with multiple trucks -- and often spend more than 8 hours at a time working on it.
Because of the long periods of time and multiple trucks visiting this cell tower, are they doing routine maintenance or are they adding equipment to the tower? There is apparently no oversight by the City, and added equipment will increase the radiation levels affecting these families.
AT&T claimed this cell tower would have “zero impact on the environment.” FALSE.
Studies show that cell towers are harmful to humans, animals and plants.
AT&T claimed in the September 20, 2017, letter that this cell tower was “being proposed BEFORE the residences are purchased.” FALSE.
The model homes were completed in 2016, and families started moving into the new homes in April of 2017.
To read the announcement regarding the grand opening of the Lennar Rose Ridge community, click here.
AT&T claimed “there will be no homeowner that suffers adverse value impact.” FALSE.
Research shows that cell towers cause a loss in property value of 20% or more, so future sales of these homes will very likely experience lost value.
AT&T asked for an additional waiver regarding the setback requirements. They said they would “add additional pineapple guava trees along the SOUTH side of the south wall to serve as a buffer.” AT&T must know that cell towers harm trees and that trees cannot hide a giant cell tower.
AT&T said they would add additional pineapple guava trees along the SOUTH side of the wall "to serve as a buffer to reduce any visual impact."
Do you think these trees are providing any type of buffer or screen?
It will be many years before they are big enough to create a visual buffer, and they will never protect the families from radiation.
AT&T asked for an additional waiver regarding the City’s regulation of a maximum wall height of 6’ in residential areas. AT&T asked for approval for a 10’ wall or, as an alternative, they would give an extra $5k landscaping bonus to the homebuyers of lots 29 and 128.
FACT:
The wall surrounding the equipment is 10’ and 6’ and includes a large, metal gate. And, the landscaping bonus is not valid because none of these steps protect the families from radiation.
Lennar Las Vegas delivered their letter of support for the cell tower to the City of Henderson on October 11, 2017 – almost a year after the grand opening of the community and 6 months after families started moving into the community.
It is important to note that Lennar Las Vegas had a serious conflict of interest
because they were the developer of this community, and they also owned the cell tower lease
so they would receive all of the revenue if the tower was approved.
Lennar Las Vegas also said that homebuyers in this community would be notified and full disclosure will be made. FACT:
The builder did NOT tell potential homebuyers, did NOT post signs in the community and did NOT include the cell tower on the site map.
FACT:
Lennar merely included a disclosure statement in a large 100+ page packet of materials. And, when one homebuyer asked if there would be a cell tower in this community, the Lennar sales rep said, “No, we won’t allow it.” The Lennar sales rep lied.
It is important to note that the letter from Lennar Las Vegas was dated October 11, 2017. The model homes were built in 2016, and families were moving into the community in April of 2017
–- several months before any of these letters were written.
As such, when these documents say that approval was being requested before homes are purchased, they were lying.
To read the grand opening announcement for the Lennar Rose Ridge community, click here.
In the City of Henderson Memorandum, they said AT&T was planning to build a 10-foot wall on the north/west sides of the tower and a 6-foot wall on the south side with landscaping and trees as SCREENING.
FACT:
Landscaping and trees will NOT screen a giant cell tower.
It is important to note that the support letter from Lennar Las Vegas was delivered to the City of Henderson on October 11, 2017. On that SAME DAY, the City of Henderson issued an 11-page Memorandum approving the cell tower. Obviously, the Lennar letter was needed only for the file since the City of Henderson had already written their 11-page Memorandum.
In the City of Henderson Memorandum, they state that “applicant shall obtain a Fire Department permit for diesel fuel storage prior to engaging in a hazardous activity or use.” Is AT&T planning to store diesel fuel at this cell tower location? Why? Was the Henderson Fire Department notified?
In the City of Henderson Memorandum, it states that this conditional use permit “shall lapse one year from the effective date.” FACT:
The cell tower wasn’t started until April of 2019 (approximately 18 months later), so the original approval would have lapsed.
In the October 16, 2017, Memorandum from the City of Henderson to AT&T, the City of Henderson stated that these waivers will not be detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare. FACT:
Thousands of research studies show that RF radiation is harmful to humans, animals, plants and trees. To learn more about the health effects, click here.
ACTION NEEDED:
This cell tower should NOT have been approved. Inaccurate and misleading information was included in the request for approval, the cell tower was not fully disclosed to homebuyers, the approval had lapsed and families are being bathed in radiation. This cell tower SHOULD BE REMOVED.