The proposal for the tower at 138 and 140 Davistown Rd came before the Central Coast Local Planning Panel on February 25, a year after attracting 55 objections along with a petition with 449 signatures.The DA is for a $250,000 Telstra monopole structure 26.8m tall at the existing Telstra exchange, along with associated infrastructure.The panel heard from local objectors who stated that the site, located in a low density residential zone, should comply with the 8.5m height limit.It appears the panel listened and shared concerns, giving the applicant three weeks to justify the height and location and also undertake further investigations into alternate locations and existing mobile coverage in the area.Central Coast Council recommended approval of the tower, subject to the conditions.The aim of the proposal is to provide improved Telstra coverage to the Saratoga and Davistown areas following increased congestion and service issues.The site currently has an existing Telstra exchange compound made up of a brick building with antennas mounted to the roof.Objections to the facility were lodged during the public exhibition period in February and March 2020. People indicated that phone reception was already adequate in the area and the tower was not in keeping with the “leafy hillside character” location. They also stated the visual impact of the tower would be unacceptable.Resident spokeswoman Angelique Perak, of Saratoga, said the main objections were not in keeping with the 8.5m height limit of the residential zone as well as effects on the public amenity and views from Saratoga Village and up the hill. She said the tower would be better suited to a hilltop location.“Putting a tower of that size in that location is not appropriate,” she said.“We are not against technology in the area but the location is wrong. It’s not just the people underneath it but the people up the hill who will be looking at eye level with it.”Mrs Perak said many residents were concerned about EME radiation with residents of Lleyellyn St expected to be eye-to-eye with the tower.She said Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) guidelines also indicate that steep hill areas are not ideal for towers when there are floor levels higher than the base of the tower.Mrs Terak said with the Telstra exchange already there, the tower DA seemed the “easy answer”.“But it’s not the most appropriate,” she said. “If the tower goes in there’s no chance it will come out. We need a bit of foresight and consideration in the planning.”Telstra has stated that due to the height of the buildings and surrounding vegetation in Saratoga, the tower needed to be above these elements to ensure “clearance”. They stated that the visual impact of the tower would be “acceptable”.



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