Rye board rejects cell tower near elementary school over health risk fears

RYE — Efforts to locate a cell tower a short distance from Rye Elementary School have been shot down by the town’s School Board following parents’ concerns about potential health effects for children.

Members of the Rye School Board unanimously voted against Verizon’s idea to locate a new, 131-foot-tall cell tower on SAU 50-owned property on Wednesday evening following a presentation from a representative of the global wireless network company.

“I think that because of our responsibilities, there has to be an absolute certainty that something we would approve has no potential health risks,” School Board chairperson Matt Curtin commented. “I understand that from a scientific perspective it’s practically impossible, but I would have needed to have walked away from this conversation feeling 99.9% confident that you wouldn’t be introducing something harmful.”

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A push from town parents in opposition of the tower, plans for which had not officially been proposed to Rye’s planning department, prevailed over the town Telecommunications Interface Committee’s goal of improving cell phone coverage within the oceanside community.

In November 2020, the state’s Commission to Study the Environmental and Health Effects of Evolving 5G Technology released a final report advising that cell towers in New Hampshire be set back at least 500 meters, or just over 1,640 feet, from populated areas. According to information sent to SAU 50 superintendent of schools Steve Zadravec, Verizon’s potential cell tower would have been located in a wooded area near a soccer field approximately 420 feet from the town elementary school.

The document from SAI Group adds that the tower would be roughly 271 feet from a playground at the school and around 48 feet from outdoor classroom spaces at the school.

All four Rye School Board members in attendance voted against the idea Wednesday. Board member Susan Ross was not present for the meeting.

Rye Elementary School parent and town School Board candidate Laura Belden led a petition effort against the cell tower, which received over 150 Rye resident signatures.

“There are a lot of people feeling very relieved after the School Board’s unanimous vote against the cell tower. I’m so proud of our parent community for coming together, and the other citizens who stood with us, to let our voices be heard,” Belden said after the vote. “I thank the School Board for listening and for keeping our children‘s health and safety as the number one priority.”

Verizon had only considered the SAU 50 parcel for a new cell tower in Rye, per a memo from Chip Fredette with SAI Group to Zadravec.

“The only other property listed in Rye’s wireless zoning table that is near (Verizon Wireless’) search area is the Rye Congregational Church,” Fredette wrote. “Our network design engineer concluded the Congregational Church property is too far south and east to be viable for this project. This coupled by the amount and type of equipment needed for the site render the steeple unusable.”

A Verizon representative walked the board through the idea on Wednesday, calling on New Hampshire-based radiation safety consultant Don Haes to support the idea. But School Board members felt unease about the idea of pushing the plan ahead.

“I do think because the risk factors are still so vague and unknown, it’s a big risk to move forward with it,” board member Heather Reed added.

Curtin noted that Rye Elementary School has no issue communicating with the town’s public safety personnel due to poor cell service.

“There’s no necessity to add cell phone towers in order for the school to be able to communicate with the public safety, fire and ambulance. I just want to make that clear to parents that that’s not an issue here,” he said.

The parent petition notes the Commission to Study the Environmental and Health Effects of Evolving 5G Technology’s final report and the uncertainties that exist regarding possible health impacts.

“Cell towers emit radiofrequency radiation, to which children are more vulnerable than adults,” the petition states. “Documented adverse health effects from proximity to cell towers include cancer, headaches, memory problems, dizziness, depression, fatigue, sleep problems, neurobehavioral symptoms, and dysregulation of the adrenergic system.”

Multiple Rye parents spoke out against the idea during the public comment portion of Wednesday’s meeting.

“Are we willing to risk our younger residents’ health?” resident Lindsay Gray mused.

The now-failed tower’s possible location in a wooded area outside the Sagamore Road school would have been within the town’s Wireless Telecommunications Facilities District, an overlay district in the Rye’s zoning code. The tower would have served Rye citizens and those living near Route 1 in Portsmouth, including Lang Road residents.

Just two cell towers are located in Rye, one off Grove Road and another along Port Way.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Rye NH rejects cell tower near school over health risk fears