Proposal would require new cell towers to be at least 1,500 feet away from schools in Williamson County 

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) – Williamson County is considering a ban on any new cell phone towers very close to schools and neighborhoods. A proposal would require towers to be at least 1,500 feet away.

This comes after hundreds of neighbors petitioned for the removal of a tower that was placed 615 feet away from an elementary school.

Neighbors spoke with News 2 about the concerns over electromagnetic radiation in November. They said that story has gained some attention.

“Please ask yourself if you would feel comfortable having your child or grandchild sitting underneath a cell tower all day at school?” former educator, Tracy Goodspeed, said on Monday night.

On Monday, parents, nurses, former law enforcement, and educators spoke out after a cellphone tower was placed 615 feet away from Trinity Elementary School in Williamson County.

“Everyone agrees this was a big mistake and no one wants to see it happen again,” Heather Bulan said.

Bulan lives across the street. She said the tower went up overnight without any warning.

Since then, hundreds of neighbors have been petitioning for the removal.

In response, the Williamson County Planning Commission and county commissioners are considering a proposed amendment that would require all future cell phone towers to be placed 1,500 feet away from school buildings where children are educated.

It will also require cell tower applicants to give notice to adjacent neighbors.

“The location of the tower, the height of the tower, the type of the tower,” Kristi Dunlap Ransom, Attorney for Planning and Zoning Williamson County said on Monday night.

However, the attorney for Vogue Towers, the company that is responsible for putting up the tower, and planning to build more in Williamson County, pushed back.

“Vogue Towers is concerned that the passage of this proposed ordinance will result in the effective prohibition of wireless services in this community,” said attorney Brad Davis.

Davis cited that Vogue Towers is in compliance with FCC guidelines.

A consultant also shared his findings after conducting studies on the tower back in October.   

“Inside that school, you’re going to find microwave ovens, mobile devices, the lights in the ceilings servers, routers, anything else putting up much more higher levels of maximum permissible exposure levels,” said Jeffery Ebihara, Waterford Consultants.

“His job was to show that the towers are in FCC guidelines and the FCC guidelines are outdated,” Bulan said.

Bulan pointed out that the FCC guidelines haven’t been updated since 1996 so neighbors still have many questions over health concerns.

Next month, the planning commission and county commissioners will vote on the proposed amendment.