The planning commission's review of the draft on May 14 marks the next step in the process to adopt a telecommunications ordinance that so far has been 10 months in the making. The town has held several meetings since last August, the most recent being two weeks ago.

At that meeting, attended by more than 20 town residents, members of the public urged the town to embrace the latest telecommunications technology. Some noted the usefulness of cell phones in emergency situations; others questioned the reliance on mobile phones during crises and still others asked for more revisions to the draft ordinance.

A handful of residents from the Live Oak Manor Park neighborhood—where MetroPCS wanted to set up three antennas on an existing PG&E tower last year—continued to voice concerns with cell phone towers. In a letter to the town signed by 71 people, residents commented on the draft ordinance and requested additional specificity to the document.

The two documents prepared by town staff—a draft ordinance and standards for wireless telecommunications facilities—should be combined into a single document, some residents said. Doing so, however, would make it less efficient to update the documents as technology evolves, town staff explained.

Live Oak Manor Park residents also requested that towers be located at least 50 feet from residential zones or be subject to a conditional use permit. A 50-foot radius requirement could impede the location of facilities in commercial areas along Los Gatos Boulevard due to close proximity to residential zones.

Residents from that neighborhood also said the town's encouragement of collocation of carriers puts an unfair burden on neighborhoods where towers exist. Town staff responded that collocation keeps Los Gatos from having too many single monopoles and that the proposed standards for telecommunications facilities already protect the town from seeing too many antennas on any one facility.

In response to a request that all facilities be set back 50 feet from a residential property line, town staff recommends maintaining the setbacks of whatever zone it is in. The staff is also recommending that the use of artificial trees and rocks to mask equipment be "strongly discouraged" rather than prohibited, as residents requested, in case future technology allowed camouflaging while maintaining the town's standards for aesthetics.

Lester Lane homeowner Laura Crowe said she learned through the CPR training she received at work that it can take 15 minutes to connect with emergency personnel when using a cell phone and that this form of communication should be used as a last resort.

Crowe's testimony was refuted by another handful of town residents who wish to see a more comprehensive wireless telecommunications plan in Los Gatos. Resident John Tice said cell phones are useful for general emergencies, such as when regular telephone lines were down during the Loma Prieta earthquake, and for roadside emergencies.

Tait Avenue resident Ken Cannizzaro, who works in the computer and communications industry, said wireless technology is also important for one's quality of life. He said of the latest technology of small, unobtrusive antennas: "These are here. They're going to be with us, and we need to embrace them."

Furthermore, he cautioned that if the town puts too many restrictions on cell phone companies, those agencies won't bother setting up antennas in Los Gatos. The end result would be a town that would be left behind as technology evolves, he said.

After listening to testimony from the public, the general plan committee recommended that when the planning commission reviews the draft ordinance it consider alleviating noise pollution as much as possible and that equipment be placed underground if it is located on an existing structure adjacent to residential sites.

The planning commission will review the matter May 14.