Parent: Briarlake Elementary Cell Tower Counter to System's Goals

The following remarks were made before the DeKalb County Board of Education yesterday by Vanessa Reid on behalf of the Briarlake Elementary School PTA. Her presentation is attached at right. 

Ladies and gentlemen of the board, my name is Vanessa Reid, and I am a parent at . I am here on behalf of our community to ask you to reconsider the . Please reference this document I have provided including my presentation here and further explanation of key points.

Let me begin by saying our primary concern is the commercial use of school property. This use of public land for private gain will unquestionably compromise educational, recreational and valuable green space. The large footprint of the proposed tower and 20-foot-wide easement will sacrifice much needed land intended for the benefit of our students, not cellular customers.

Safety is our next concern. The construction and maintenance of the proposed tower and support equipment would require the presence of workers performing actions that increase the risk of hazard to children, county personnel and resident homeowners. T-Mobile may offer assurances, but what truly guarantees these promises? What sort of individuals will be coming to our school? How are we guaranteed that these are not sexual predators entering our residential community at all hours of the day and night, especially with third-party contracted employees?

Now, allow me to address the topic of radiation. The area of wireless safety is an emerging arena, and at this time of rapidly changing technology, we are still learning the possibilities of advancement and impact. While we are all the beneficiaries afforded by technology, we must be mindful of the potential risks when it comes to the children. They are not our test pilots. It is our job to protect them from potential dangers. In this instance, we are not following that instinct. We are allowing the promise of greater convenience and monetary gain cloud our judgment. Please understand, even if you believe there is no substantial support for the dangers of constant cellular tower exposure to children, there are also no studies that support their safety. In 2002 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said, "The generalization by many that the guidelines protect human beings from harm by any or all mechanisms is not justified. Please consider this warning by our own government."

Property values are yet another issue. Placing a cell phone tower on school property will reduce the perceived value of the school, the properties in the area and the subsequent tax revenue. We are aware of families that are considering moving from our community over these concerns, and evidence shows other communities have seen a property value decrease of up to 20 percent – something no one can afford in this economy.

Please consider your own mission statement as noted in this handout. How can this decision support the safe and healthy learning? How does it support public fiscal responsibility? How does it support academic programs, resources and services? It seems sharply–and absurdly–counter to your own mission.

I ask you again, how can a 150-foot cell tower–a tower the height of the Statue of Liberty–begin to reflect any of these noble ambitions?

We have elected you to represent the best interests of our community. Please do so by considering terminating this agreement or at a minimum, choose an alternate location for the tower planned for Briarlake Elementary. Thank you for your time and attention.