Cell tower organizing in Ashland

This is a recent email report from the owners of Hidden Springs Wellness Center. Please look it over and see if you can make any meetings or write to the government leaders they suggest. Go democracy, go!

Report start----------

The Planning Commission met on June 8th and decided to defer their decision to the June 22nd meeting. They have also reopened the record for written testimony until next Tuesday, June 15th.

There are three ways you can help us save Hidden Springs:
Send an email to April at the Planning Commission: lucasa@ashland.or.us. Emails must be received before 4:30 next Tuesday, June 22nd.
Show up at the June 22nd meeting, 7pm at the same place, 1175 E Main.
Attend an informational meeting at Hidden Springs next Tuesday evening, June 15, 7pm.
Your email can be brief. The Planning Commission needs to know that the 352 emails that came in last time was not an isolated incident. We have not gone away! Ideally, 500 will come in this round.

Here’s a letter to the editor we just sent in today, which may help you decide what to write. Thank you so much for your help!

Rod and Brooks Newton

Hidden Springs

Our Letter to the Editor:

AT&T’s Response:

Question: Which do you think is a better location for a new cell tower in Ashland, given that either location provides the desired improvement in service?

A. By the freeway where there is an already existing cell tower.

B. On top of a family theater in a shopping center adjacent to health care facilities where there is no current cell tower.

AT&T chose the Cinema location, despite writing in their planning packet that the freeway location is “a reasonable location according to the search map” and that co location at the freeway site could work from an RF perspective.

After 352 people wrote letters of opposition to the Cinema location, the Planning Staff received a letter from AT&T. Staff were fully expecting it to be a request to withdraw the application, due to this overwhelming community opposition. Instead, AT&T flagrantly disregarded community input and requested that the records be re-opened, so they could restate their existing agenda and push forward.

Now citizens have a further week for input. The issue here is whether corporations can force their agenda on a community, or whether citizens’ input is seriously considered in the local decision making process. Your voice can make a difference. If you want to speak up, send an email to April at the Planning Commission: lucasa@ashland.or.us. Emails must be received before 4:30 next Tuesday, June 22nd.

Rod and Brooks Newton, owners

Hidden Springs Wellness Center (541) 488-8858