In October 2022, the Montgomery County Council passed new zoning that allows cell towers 30 feet from houses and apartments and removes residents previous rights to notice and hearings -- eliminating the community from the decision making process.

CLICK "ADD YOUR NAME" to sign our petition!

Dear County Council and the County Executive,

We urge you to:

1. Take action to immediately repeal ZTA 19-07 and ZTA 22-01, which allow cell towers 30 feet from homes.

2. Reform wireless zoning and regulation in Montgomery County, with input from residents.

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Background

The 2022 Montgomery County County Council approved zoning changes that:

• Reduced the antenna setback to 30 feet from homes and schools
• Allowed cell tower antennas on street lights, utility poles, and new poles in residential neighborhoods

These cell towers will now be installed with:

• No notice to nearby residents
• No public hearings
• No height limit for cell towers atop utility poles
• No limit on the number of antennas or equipment boxes attached to a street pole

The 2022 Council adopted two zoning text amendments, ZTA 22-01 Antennas on Existing Structures (Oct 25, 2022) and ZTA 19-07 (Jul 27, 2021), despite widespread opposition from residents, environmental groups, and candidates in the primary election. 100% of the residents who signed up to testify or submitted written testimony opposed the latest zoning change.

For more information see:

• Our coalition's 27,000-letter campaign
• The pledge signed by Montgomery Council candidates to prioritize resident input regarding cell towers.

A new Council was sworn into office in December 2022. CLICK “Add Your Name” on the right-hand side of this page sign our petition, as we work with the new Council to create sensible wireless regulation in Montgomery County.

Notes:

Towers can be installed between less than 30 feet (as close as zero feet!) from homes after a hearing process.

Q: Does this affect me If I live in a condo or apartment?

A: Yes! A number of residents have asked this recently. The setback depends on whether your building is in a residential or commercial zone. Much of the County's multifamily housing (e.g., condo or apartment) is in residential zones, where the setback is the same as for single-family homes (30 feet, or less after a hearing). In commercial or mixed use zones, the setback was previously reduced to only 10 feet under ZTA 18-02. If you’re not sure what zone your building is in, you can look it up here. See a recent New York Times article describing towers only 10 feet from apartments in NYC.