Challenge an Existing Cell Tower
GET ORGANIZED
Why It’s Important
There are limited avenues to challenge the placement or operation of existing cell towers in your community.
How To Do It
Below is a step-by-step guide that outlines how your community can mount an effective opposition to an already existing cell tower.
STEP 1
Research The Cell Tower
Why It’s Important
Understanding the details surrounding the tower and the legal and regulatory framework will give you a sense of the bigger picture and inform your strategy.
How To Do It
Follow our research tips to find the permit application file as well as the zoning ordinance for your jurisdiction. You are looking for the entire permit application file, including the full application and any correspondence.
Do your best to start to learn about the legal and regulatory framework.
STEP 2
Hire A Lawyer
Why It’s Important
Hire a lawyer as soon as possible to understand your legal options. A lawyer can employ several strategies to fight an existing cell tower, including exposure limit violations, zoning permit decision violations, and code compliance violations.
How To Do It
Start with this list of recommended lawyers.
Pursue legal representation for your community coalition.
Advocate for your town to hire a specialist lawyer by sending a letter to your town council and submitting written comments.
STEP 3
Engage Elected Officials
Why It’s Important
It is important to develop and maintain relationships with local officials. Start with city council members, the mayor, and state and county elected officials. Don’t forget about your local planning board and any other relevant stakeholders and elected officials. Use existing relationships to your coalition’s advantage. Ultimately, the objective is to encourage elected officials to advocate for the removal or relocation of the tower.
How To Do It
Write letters and emails (personalize this template).
Request meetings to present your case against the cell tower.
Make your voice heard at city council meetings, zoning board or planning commission meetings and any other community meetings.
Circulate your petition among elected officials.
Encourage other community members to follow these steps as well.
Hint: If the installation is on school grounds, engage your school board!
STEP 4
Create Online Resources
Why It’s Important
Your website, social media pages, and petition are where community members can learn, stay informed, and get involved. These online resources are also a good place for the press to visit. Creating a buzz can put additional pressure on decision-makers and telecommunications companies to address your concerns.
Hint: There is no need to recreate the wheel. Use the websites and social media pages from other communities as inspiration. Start with these: Belmar Against 5G Towers and Stop the Cell Tower.
How To Do It
Make a website. Use a user-friendly and affordable website builder like Wix, Weebly or Wordpress.
Create a Facebook page and post updates about your progress, upcoming events and other important details.
Create an online petition on change.org. Here’s a template to get you started. Collect signatures!
Invite all your friends and neighbors to follow your Facebook, share your website and sign the petition.
STEP 5
Organize A Community Meeting
Why It’s Important
Organizing a community meeting is a key step to challenging the installation. Use this and future meetings to discuss the issue, gain support and share ideas and information. Moving forward, you may consider leaning on your coalition members to handle specific tasks like research, fundraising and media.
Hint: This could be a good time to pass out lawn signs!
How To Do It
Invite friends, neighbors, environmental groups and safe technology advocates in your area. Share the event on social media (template) and by email (template). Strength in numbers can increase your impact.
Feel free to modify this script and slideshow to present at your meeting.
Collect email addresses and use this list to communicate with your coalition about developments, other upcoming events and ways they can help.
STEP 6
Build Political Pressure
Why It’s Important
Increasing visibility and raising public awareness in your community is crucial for garnering support and achieving your goals.
Hint: You may be able to save money by ordering in bulk!
How To Do It
Design and order lawn signs from a local company or an office supplies store.
Promote your signs over social media, email and your website.
Ask community members to express interest and share details about how they can pay, if applicable.
Alert local media outlets of the proposal and your objections. Send a letter to the editor and encourage the press to visit and share your website and social media.
STEP 7
Raise Money
Why It’s Important
Fundraising will be central to your efforts. Print materials, lawn signs, legal representation and other advocacy efforts all cost money.
Hint: Read about how to set up a donation page for fundraising on GoFundMe.
How To Do It
Define your goals and create a budget. Estimate the total amount needed and break it down into specific categories (e.g., legal costs, advertising and materials).
Set up a donation page on a crowdfunding platform like GoFundMe, Kickstarter or Indiegogo to fundraise online and reach a broad audience.
Promote your fundraising page on your website, via email and social media.
STEP 8
Gear Up For Litigation
Why It’s Important
In the event your concerns are not adequately considered or addressed, you may want to prepare for possible litigation. Prepare yourself for this possibility by talking to your lawyer.
Hint: Find out about similar efforts by visiting Children’s Health Defense’s EMR Litigation Efforts.
How To Do It
Discuss possible avenues for litigation with your lawyer.
Keep detailed records of all relevant documents, communications and meetings. Any demonstrations of widespread opposition may be used to present as evidence in legal proceedings.
Continue to engage your coalition and mobilize community support to strengthen your case.
STEP 9
Advocate For A Safe Wireless Ordinance
Why It’s Important
A protective wireless zoning ordinance codifies the procedural requirements of local zoning authorities.
Hint: Lean on your lawyer for support and guidance at this stage.
How To Do It
Remember the ordinance you found back in step 1? Now is the time to get familiar it. You may also wish to review some key elements of a safe wireless ordinance and compare your ordinance to these examples of safe ordinances.
Are there any conditions in the ordinance which have or are being violated? If so, this may serve as a basis to challenge the tower.
If you discover that your ordinance has shortcomings, this is the time to revise it. Although the revisions may not be adopted in time for this challenge, it will ensure that more stringent criteria are in place moving forward.
STEP 10
Keep Going
Why It’s Important
Be prepared to keep going! With these fights, persistence is key to gaining traction and support. If you haven’t had the success you had hoped for yet, that doesn’t mean that you should give up the cause.
How To Do It
Take a short breather to appreciate all you’ve learned and accomplished thus far.
Assess what has worked well and not. What modifications can be made to your strategy moving forward?
As needed, be prepared to start over at step 1 and go through the steps again! Don’t give up!