Concerned about wireless infrastructure guidelines in Fountain Hills
OPINION — This story affects everyone who lives in Fountain Hills.
When I moved to Fountain Hills, I spent six months living in the dark. Every breaker in my home was turned off. I lived with one flashlight and one burner to cook my food. I was suffering from electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), and there were days when I did not know if I was going to survive.
I spent close to $20,000 remediating my home and slowly regained my life. Now, the proposed Fountain Hills wireless ordinance could take that away.
A wireless facility and cellular tower could potentially be installed near my home. If that happened, I would be forced to leave. And where would I go? Wireless facilities have been installed even in remote areas.
But this is not just about me. An estimated one in eight people are dealing with electromagnetic hypersensitivity. Our children’s brains are still developing and are more susceptible to the effects of radiofrequency than adults.
Our homes are also at stake. Research has shown that proximity to wireless infrastructure can reduce property values by as much as 20%. Once a wireless facility is installed outside your home, it won’t be taken down.
Fountain Hills can have reliable wireless service without putting wireless infrastructure just feet from our homes. I am asking the town council to require a minimum 500-foot setback for small wireless facilities and 1,500 feet for cellular towers.
We need your voice at the Sept. 1 town council meeting. Don’t stay silent. This affects us all: our health, our children, our homes and our community.
Show up. Speak up. We have an opportunity to get this right before the decision becomes permanent.
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