Mixed signals

By Fred Durso Jr.       July 27, 2006

Soon, there will be an addition to a local Chinese eatery, but don't expect to see it on the menu. A "cell site," or cellular antenna facility, will rest atop the mixed-use building at 12th Street and Moyamensing Avenue, which partly houses Good Flavor Chinese and Japanese Restaurant. The Zoning Board of Adjustment approved the plan July 11, but the South Philadelphia Communities Civic Association plans to appeal the decision.

Some neighbors were unaware of the project, while many others have their reservations. A handful cited a barrage of health and technological concerns at a community meeting July 20 at Fels Community Center, 2407 S. Broad St.

"The health issue is a big thing," Cass Taylor, of the 2500 block of South Iseminger Street, said after the meeting. "Is it going to bother my TV or phone? How will this benefit the community?"

An attorney for cell phone company T-Mobile approached the community association in March about placing the 10-foot high device on the building's roof. Three antennas will be enclosed in brick in order to blend in with the building.

"These kinds of things are just usually rejected by us and are not good," association President Tony Greco said of the antennas. "It's just one of those situations that is automatically frowned upon."

This cell site was chosen due to feedback from customers, Russ Stromberg, T-Mobile director of engineering development, said.

"Based on how the network performs, engineering data tells us in this part [of the city], we have some coverage challenges," he said. "We get customer complaints that in South Philly their cell phones are not working in [a] building," said Stromberg, adding T-Mobile has 33,000 cell sites nationwide.

Not immediately opposed to the plan, Greco said his association entertained the idea of placing the cell site atop nearby A.S. Jenks School, 2501 S. 13th St. Since the building owner with the cell site allegedly would receive $2,000 a month from T-Mobile, Greco wanted the money to at least benefit local students. Stromberg could not confirm the amount, but said it's typically comparable to what an office tenant or resident would pay. The Philadelphia School District met with the company's lawyer, but rejected the idea.

During meetings with the district, an attorney for cell phone company Nextel approached the community organization about placing another antenna in the area.

"That threw up another red flag for us," Greco, who is concerned the approval of one cell site will lead to others, said. "We're already a compacted area of residents trying to keep the community the best way we can and we have [to deal with] these huge corporations that have no concern at all for the neighborhood."

LIKE THE MAJORITY of residents at last week's meeting, Greco has many issues with the antenna, including its aesthetic quality and effects on health and electronic devices.

"Although [the company says] it doesn't affect people's health, it doesn't interfere with TV reception, I don't totally trust the companies in what they're saying," he said. "It's better to err on the side of caution."

A Federal Communications Commission (FCC) statute prevents local authorities from ruling against a proposed antenna or tower site based on the environmental effects of radio frequency emissions used for cell phone service. The commission deems the devices safe.

"In order to be exposed to levels at or near the FCC limits for cellular ... frequencies, an individual would essentially have to remain in the main transmitting beam (at the height of the antenna) and within a few feet from the antenna. This makes it extremely unlikely that a member of the general public could be exposed to [radio frequency] levels in excess of these guidelines," the FCC Web site stated.

"It's a radio wave. It's been in commercial use for almost 100 years," Stromberg added. "There are no known health affects on the public."

Stromberg said T-Mobile pays a large chunk of money to the FCC for its "own slice of the radio-wave spectrum." Since television and radio stations are on a lower or higher band, interference should not be an issue once the antennas are in place.

But neighbors still have concerns, specifically since 1st District Councilman Frank DiCicco gave his approval for the project. Since he drafted a letter of support to the zoning board, some residents argued he should have obtained community input before making the decision.

"I think we should tell DiCicco to put it on his house," a meeting attendee said.

The councilman responded by saying he has been "vehemently opposed to these types of applications in the past." Locally, he was against a cell site at 11th and Watkins streets, which the zoning board later approved.

He was under the impression the "community was not dead set against" the 12th-and-Moyamensing site since they were considering the Jenks location.

While DiCicco said he doesn't organize community meetings, he did meet with board members from the South Philadelphia Communities Civic Association last week. His letter of support included provisos, such as the enclosure of the antennas, improvements to the building's exterior and the removal of trash near the restaurant.

"I get paid to make the decisions and I thought that decision was in the best interest," DiCicco said.

As requested by the community organization, he plans to speak to school district CEO Paul Vallas to revisit the idea of placing the cell site atop Jenks.

The granted provisos also included the prohibition of additional antennas at the restaurant's location by other cell phone providers, as well as T-Mobile, said DiCicco, who called this a "one-shot deal."

But Greco said opposition to future ones in the surrounding area is key.

"We should be fighting this as a matter of principle - just to try to keep out as much as possible," he said.

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