The City isn’t allowed to set restrictions on telecommunications towers, but it can express its preferences to telecommunications companies through a formal planning document.

Why this is important. Citizens often express real fear and frustration regarding the siting of cellphone towers, but fail to understand that the municipality has no jurisdiction over those towers.

What ZoneSJ gets right. In this case, doing nothing may be the right thing to do, because of the jurisdictional issues.

Issues and opportunities. There may be an opportunity to define guidelines (not requirements) that telecommunications companies can use to try to adapt their installations to accommodate community desires (for example, by making towers less visible).

Cheat sheet for your feedback. If you want to provide feedback on this issue, feel free to use or edit the statement below:

Please define a community standard to guide telecommunications companies in the design and siting of towers.

The deadline for your feedback to the City on ZoneSJ is Friday November 29th. Submit your input to (via webform, or in writing to planning@saintjohn.ca). And copy your councillors.