Neighbors Decry Palm-Like Cell Tower Near Neff Church
By Margaret Foster | Online Only | Nov. 25, 2008
A grove of palms near the only church that California architect Wallace Neff ever designed may soon have a new addition: a 56-foot-tall cellular phone tower "disguised" as a palm tree.
Without the input of parishioners, St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church agreed to allow T-Mobile Communications to erect a tower in the parking lot behind the 1926 sanctuary and Lourdes-inspired grotto, located in Altadena, in Los Angeles County.
"People come to our grotto because it's a quiet sanctuary," says parishioner Susie Fundter. "You will be able to see that cell tower from that grotto. That takes away from the spirituality of the place. It doesn't make sense to put this tower there."
In May 2008, the Altadena Town Council's land-use committee reversed an earlier ruling, and voted 10-0 against approval. To date about 500 residents have also signed a petition against the cell tower. And next month, a local group, Altadena Neighborhood Alliance, is organizing its members to attend a public hearing with the county's regional planning commission. The hearing is set for Dec. 3.
Unfortunately, opposition may be too little, too late. Altadena Heritage gave its blessing to construction of the tower last year. And a key official, Los Angeles County Planner Anne Russett, recommended the project's approval in her analysis, dated Feb. 20, 2008.
T-Mobile Communications, which has built hundreds of tree-like towers throughout the country, says it hopes to get all land-use approvals by January. "This facility was designed to blend into the stand of existing fan-palms next to the parish center and away from the main worship sanctuary," spokesman Rod De La Rosa said in an e-mail today. "It is deliberately sited next to the parking lot and trash enclosure. This location will not readily be visible from the public right-of-way."
Some critics say an environmental impact study should be completed prior to construction. Others suggest moving the tower to another spot. "We feel that locating the mono palm farther from the main church … would reduce its visual impact on the historically significant church," wrote Mark Goldschmidt, chairman of Altadena Heritage, in a recent letter to Russett.
A simulated image of the palm tower near St. Elizabeth's of Hungary Catholic Church, designed in 1926 by Wallace Neff
Credit: Altadena Neighborhood Alliance
According to a historical and architectural resources survey by Altadena Heritage, St. Elizabeth's is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places because of its association with Neff (1895-1982).
T-Mobile has constructed about 100 tree-like towers in the Los Angeles area, according to De La Rosa.
That's too many for people like Fundter. "They seem to be going up overnight," she says. "It's almost like these cell phone providers are targeting these churches because they know they need the money."
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Comments
Submitted by ronner at: November 25, 2008
Remember, the National Trust apparently doesn't hire its writers based on their knowledge of federal historic preservation laws!
Submitted by CCM at: November 25, 2008
What about the Section 106 review? What was the result of this process? Has it happened yet? Strange that this article doesn't mention it.