Testimony from agricultural pilots, residents and aviation operators warned the structure could pose a hazard to low-altitude flight operations. Designed by Freepik, www.freepik.com

RICHVALE, CA (MPG) - The Butte County Planning Commission voted 4-1 to delay action on a proposed 100-foot wireless cell tower in Richvale rice country, following testimony from agricultural pilots, residents and aviation operators who warned the structure could pose a hazard to low-altitude flight operations.

The Sept. 30 hearing drew scrutiny over the tower’s location near a busy FAA-recognized private airstrip and active agricultural flight paths. Commissioners agreed to continue the item to a future date to allow for further review of safety concerns, alternative sitting options and public outreach.

Mark Michelena, principal planner with the Butte County Development Services Department, presented the application submitted by The Towers, LLC. The project calls for a 100-foot unmanned monopole with 12 eight-foot antennas, 12 remote radio units, a six-foot microwave antenna, GPS antenna and two ground-mounted radio cabinets, designed to improve cellular reception in the Richvale and Biggs area. The equipment would be enclosed within a 50-by-50-foot lease area, surrounded by a six-foot chain-link fence with a 12-foot access gate. A backup generator and diesel fuel tank would be installed on a raised concrete pad inside the enclosure.

Richvale agricultural pilot Paul Book, who has had close calls with cell towers in the past, questioned the necessity of placing the tower in the heart of Richvale’s flight corridor.

“We fly at 100 feet,” Book said. “That’s our working altitude. We’re not up there sightseeing. We’re working. We’re trying to get a job done.”

Multiple residents and pilots said initial notification about the project was limited and failed to reach many affected parties, including pilots who operate from outside Richvale but use the FAA-recognized airstrip, among them Jones Flying Service of Biggs and Michaud’s Aviation of Willows.

Teresa Ward, who lives directly across the street from the proposed site, told commissioners she was not opposed to better cell service, but believes the tower’s diesel generator poses a fire risk to residents, and the tower itself poses a safety risk to pilots who fly in and out like they are participants in an air show.

“This 100-foot tower is very tall and potentially presents an obstacle that could be fatal to pilots,” Ward said. “If anyone flying there clipped a wing or anything, they would go down, and if they went down, that would be fatal.”

While acknowledging the proposed tower is expected to improve reception and data reliability for Verizon customers, and potentially others if additional carriers lease space, commissioners and residents requested collocating antennas on existing grain silos or other tall structures to reduce aviation hazards and visual impacts.

Bill Lewis, who represented The Towers at the hearing, said they had evaluated the grain silos but determined that vibration from grain operations could interfere with signal integrity.

Lewis expressed a willingness to meet with county staff to explore alternatives and provide documentation of outreach efforts. He said the applicant has also submitted a noise study confirming compliance with county standards and clearance from the FAA without recommendation for hazard mitigation measures.

Commissioner Rocky Donati made the motion to continue the hearing, which passed 4-1. The applicant was asked to provide a detailed report on collocation feasibility and maintain communication with staff and the community.

Although Donati urged The Towers LLC to explore shifting the tower’s location further from residences and the airport, Michelena clarified that the commission cannot outright deny the permit simply because better sites may exist elsewhere.

Under county policy, only the application as submitted can be evaluated, although the applicant may voluntarily revise, withdrawor reapply for a different site. Michelena also noted that the county’s airport commission does not have authority over private airports, limiting its role in the matter.

Butte County will re-notify affected parties when the item is scheduled for further hearing.