Might Be a Cell Tower Going up Next to my House

[slackmax]

   Anyone live next to a big cell phone tower?  Do you just get used to it? Does it interfere with your TV and radio reception in your house? What about the supposedly harmful effects of the radiation?      If this tower goes up, it will only be about 150 feet from my house.

 Thanks

[Mississippi Mudstache]

Gah! Ur gonna DIE! RUN!

Just kidding. They're ugly, but you'll get awesome cell phone reception.

[Jack]

Somebody tried to put one up in my neighborhood, but the neighbors fought it off. The funny thing was that the process wasn't being driven by the cellular company, it was being driven by the vacant lot owner who wanted the rent. The neighborhood association convinced the cellular company to locate at a low-income senior high-rise a few hundred feet away instead (which made a ton more sense anyway).

I mention all this for two reasons:

• It's important to have cell towers, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's important to put one at that particular spot.
• It is possible to fight a cell tower installation and win.

[jawisco]

If I owned a house that was going to be 150 ft from a cell tower, I would fight it, unless the cell-phone company was willing to pay me a monthly rate.  It will significantly affect your house value and there may be other effects. 

This sort of arrangement (to pay folks living so close to cellphone tower, wind turbine, etc) is not uncommon - you might just need to ask for it and tell them why you think it would be fair and also tell them you will fight like hell if you aren't compensated.  Good luck.

[Mississippi Mudstache]

If I owned a house that was going to be 150 ft from a cell tower, I would fight it, unless the cell-phone company was willing to pay me a monthly rate.  It will significantly affect your house value and there may be other effects. 

That would definitely be my biggest concern.

[Bearded Man]

This is one of those things that really sucks bad. You buy the perfect house in the perfect location...only to have that greenbelt behind your house turned into a baseball stadium, apartment complex, our outdoor music festival.

This is one of the reasons I am slowly starting to long for a, dare I say it...HOA.
Sure, the HOA has no direct control over land outside of the community, but it has money and a vested interest to protect the home values of the HOA members and the HOA can put up a better fight since it can afford a better team of attorneys with all that HOA money. How's that for the "HOA loving folks"

[Culverin]

[...]
This is one of the reasons I am slowly starting to long for a, dare I say it...HOA.

An HOA is a very good way to sign a blank check, made out to the annoying neighbors next door, so that they can keep you from building the greenhouse where you grow your veggies.

I lived under a cellphone tower for years, and the only thing I noticed was the really great reception (cellphone towers typically operate in wavelengths that don't effect your body or your TV/radio, and their operators are highly-incentivized to ensure they don't "bleed" to other frequencies - power costs money).  I had no problems with my wifi (2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands), and the trees in the backyard took care of any unsightliness.  As for property values, it was already built when I bought the place, so I probably came out ahead in the deal.

[Rural]

This is one of those things that really sucks bad. You buy the perfect house in the perfect location...only to have that greenbelt behind your house turned into a baseball stadium, apartment complex, our outdoor music festival.

This is one of the reasons I am slowly starting to long for a, dare I say it...HOA.

Better solution: buy enough acreage. Joining a preserve or national forest if possible. Or buy a set-in and you don't need the acreage, even. But that way you get the guarantees without giving up the right to do what you want on your own property. We bought an adjacent parcel to keep it from being logged. Now it never will be.

[agent_clone]

I guess one issue might be house values.

In regards to the radiation at about 5 metres (14 1/2 feet) the radiation is about the same as holding your mobile (cell) phone.  So I wouldn't worry about that.  I have no idea about interference.

[GuitarStv]

If you're really concerned about radiation there are DIY solutions.  Rip down all the drywall in your house, attach conductive window screening to the studs behind (making sure to overlap all pieces), attach the screening to a ground, put the drywall back up.  This effectively makes your home a faraday cage, and should block all cell, radio, tv, and various other EM signals from entering your home (exept from windows . . . but I'm assuming that you already cover these in tinfoil?).  :P

Added prepper bonus . . . your house should now withstand the EM blast from a thermonuclear device pretty well.  So all your flashlights and ipods will work in the apocalypse.

[Eric]

This is one of those things that really sucks bad. You buy the perfect house in the perfect location...only to have that greenbelt behind your house turned into a baseball stadium, apartment complex, our outdoor music festival.

If you ever find yourself owning a house where an outdoor music festival pops up next to it, let me know and I'll buy it from you*.  OMG!  Going to a 3 or 4 day festival and being able to sleep in your own bed at night!  Or use your own shower or toilet!  That could be like the best thing ever.  I dream about that shit.


*does not apply to shitty metal music fests

[agent_clone]

This is one of those things that really sucks bad. You buy the perfect house in the perfect location...only to have that greenbelt behind your house turned into a baseball stadium, apartment complex, our outdoor music festival.

If you ever find yourself owning a house where an outdoor music festival pops up next to it, let me know and I'll buy it from you*.  OMG!  Going to a 3 or 4 day festival and being able to sleep in your own bed at night!  Or use your own shower or toilet!  That could be like the best thing ever.  I dream about that shit.


*does not apply to shitty metal music fests

When I visited Perth, Australia a couple of years ago when on a tour of the city the guide made the comment that they were planning on moving the cops out of the building that was right next to the cricket ground and the cops were upset about it.  This is because they couldn't then watch the cricket from their office.

[randymarsh]

Be jealous it's not on your property! Tower leases can be lucrative. Would definitely speed up FIRE ;)

[RootofGood]

See if the tower co might want to buy your house too so they can build a super duper tower.

As for the HOA loving folks, they won't help if the tower owner wants to locate outside land governed by the HOA.  Other than serving as a conduit of political/social pressure to fight the tower.