Students may soon see another structure built on campus, although this one won’t house any classes or be home to any incoming freshmen.
Eugene Planning Director Susan Muir approved the plans for the construction of a Sprint PCS-owned cell phone tower near Hayward Field on Tuesday. Unless there is an appeal, the 120-foot galvanized steel monopole will be constructed just south of the west grandstand by the track field.
“I think this was the most acceptable location,” Associate City Planner Kent Kullby said, adding that the tower will blend in with nearby light poles and, unlike many other towers, will not have any external antennae.
The authorization comes after months of planning and public testimony by concerned residents from nearby neighborhoods. Concerns included the health risks associated with microwave and radio emissions from the tower, the risk of impact to birds and the height of the structure. To resolve some of those issues, Sprint PCS relied on an environmental consultant, a radio-frequency engineer, an aeronautical specialist and other professionals to aid in the tower’s design.
The cell phone tower will also be built with a small building used to house equipment and serve as a ticket booth. Existing lights currently attached to the grandstand will be moved onto the monopole and placed at a different angle in order to prevent glare.
The planning director’s approval stated that the cell phone tower complied with Federal Communications Commission regulations related to non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation emissions. However, public testimony criticized the lack of documentation of health risks associated with the monopole.
The monopole will be the tallest structure on campus after it is built. Prince Lucien Campbell Hall, currently the tallest building, towers at 108 feet. The cell phone tower will be built about 600 feet away from residence halls located north of East 15th Avenue and about 650 feet from residential areas on the south side of East 18th Avenue.
“You can really see that the University helped choose a site that was as far as possible from living areas,” Kullby said.
Mona Linstromberg, a member of Oregon’s Citizens for the Responsible Placement of Cell Phone Transmission Towers, said she felt the tower was too close to some buildings, like the Vivian Olum Child Development Center, which is located 715 feet away on Columbia Street.
“In my mind it is too close to where children hang out all day,” Linstromberg said.
Linstromberg said the tower may have “significant implications” on children’s health and suggested that nearby residents should urge the University to monitor the health of children in the neighborhood. She also said she understands the public’s need for cell phones.
“My feeling is that they’re a useful tool,” she said. “But if they’re going to be used indiscriminately, then there’s going to be more towers popping up.”
Appeals to the planning director’s decision must be received by 5 p.m. Nov. 10 at the city’s Permit and Information Center at 99 W. 10th Ave. Information may be obtained from the planner-on-duty at the center between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. or from Kullby at 682-5453.