GILROY
– School board trustees unanimously approved a resolution
banning the use of the large flagpoles in front of Luigi Aprea
Elementary School to ever be used as cellular telephone towers.
GILROY – School board trustees unanimously approved a resolution banning the use of the large flagpoles in front of Luigi Aprea Elementary School to ever be used as cellular telephone towers.
Last week’s decision appeased a group of worried parents from Gilroy Unified School District’s top-performing school. But it’s not leaving everyone at Luigi Aprea completely satisfied.
“We were asking that they never activate cell towers at Luigi, but the board’s action only bans the two flagpoles from being used as microwave towers,” parent Robyn Houts said. “We’re happy they took a first step at least.”
The Luigi Aprea Parents Club agreed back in May to allow the 50-foot flagpoles to stay, provided the school board would approve a written policy banning them from ever being activated.
Houts wants to see the school district eventually ban cell phone antennas from being placed anywhere on district property. Superintendent Edwin Diaz has said there are no plans to use district property for cell tower sites in the future.
For months, the parents have been pressing the school to remove the flagpoles which were originally going to be used as stealth housing for Cingular Wireless antennas. Cingular was going to rent the flagpole space for $900 a month, until Diaz ordered work to be stopped at the northwest campus back in November.
Diaz said then the district’s policy to have the school board approve such contracts was not followed. Diaz took responsibility for the mistake, but GUSD facilities director Charlie Van Meter said he moved forward with the contract because it was a lease agreement, which is typically handled by staff.
Diaz was responding to concerns from parents and residents over the potential health risks associated with exposure to radiation frequencies emitted from cellular antennas.
Cingular contends that cellular communication facilities are not hazardous to human health, but to avoid bad feelings and bad PR, the company agreed to remove the antennas from inside the flagpoles at no charge.
