Politics & Government

'Non-Binding' Cell Tower Vote to Go Before Residents July 31

The July 31 vote will have little effect on tower proposals at the nine schools already agreed to T-Mobile leases, including Briarlake Elementary, Lakeside High and Margaret Harris Comprehensive schools.

Residents will be able to vote this month whether they like the DeKalb County School System placing cell phone towers on school properties.

The vote won't necessarily have any affect on the school system's policies, but it could at least give school board members an idea of voter sentiment, according to CrossRoadsNews, in a story published three days ago.

From the story:

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The referendum was created by House Bill 1299, sponsored by state Reps. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates), Michele Henson (D-Stone Mountain), Rahn Mayo (D-Decatur) and other DeKalb legislators.

Drenner, a six-term representative and a radiation physicist, embraced the referendum after House Bill 1197 which she sponsored to ban towers from other school grounds failed.

State legislators have been seeking ways to prevent the location of more cell towers on DeKalb Schools property after a July 12, 2011, vote by the DeKalb School Board to allow T-Mobile to locate 150-foot high towers on nine school properties for up to 30 years. Most of those schools are in south DeKalb County.

Obviously, locally, , and Margaret Harris Comprehensive schools are included in those. Read the rest of the well-reported CrossRoadsNews story for more details. Walter Woods, the school system's spokesman, told the newspaper construction on the first tower is expected to begin next month.

Find out what's happening in North Druid Hills-Briarcliffwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

How will you vote in the cell phone tower referendum? Does it matter? Tell us in the comments section below.


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