Locals rally against rural Loomis cell tower

About 150 residents have signed an online petition against a cell phone tower extension in rural, unincorporated Loomis near Penryn this week. According to Placer County information, a resident is applying for a minor use permit to increase an existing 50-foot cellular tower on a five-acre Sugarloaf Mountain Road address to 70 feet, 5 inches. The county held a standard permit public hearing on the request Thursday morning after press time. Sugarloaf Mountain Road resident Gai Kirkegaard said notice of the county hearing was mailed out Aug. 8, giving nearby residents 10 days notice of the public hearing. "This tower is right next to us and is an extreme eyesore. It doesn't belong in a neighborhood and now they want to make it bigger? This is concerning not only for our property values but our health," Kirkegaard said in an email. Kirkegaard mobilized an online petition against the proposal, gathering 147 signatures as of Wednesday night. "The installation of the existing tower and equipment was fought and pushed through against the neighboring property owners' wishes previously," the petition page stated. According to the county staff report, the height extension is being requested to accommodate installation of 15 AT&T antennas and radios behind the antennas. Two new cabinets would be installed in the existing leased fenced-in area onsite. A 94-foot-long trench would be dug to underground utility conduit for power and fiber from existing equipment to the existing monopole tower, the report stated. "We don't need 5G and it's dangerous," said petition signer Shelly Moore. Ranked as the fastest service in California, AT&T has the best cellular coverage in Loomis and Penryn, according to Cellularstatus.com. Loomis has 39 cell towers within 25 miles of the town center, while Penryn has 38. Three cellular towers are in the southern area of Loomis near Laird Road, according to Cellreception.com. Loomis is 144th in California for cell reception ahead of Lincoln, Auburn, Pilot Hill and Cool but well behind Penryn, according to Cellreception.com. The site also says Penryn is 71st in the state for cell reception, ahead of Newcastle, Loomis, Rocklin and Auburn.