Montgomery Community Media

County Executive Marc Elrich has asked the Montgomery County Council to pause its consideration of new regulations that decide how 5G antennas would be placed in residential areas. Elrich noted court cases in which the antennas’ “small cell towers” are not exempt from environmental and historic preservation rules. Debbie Spielberg, a special assistant to Elrich, […]

With the new Montgomery County Council come new committee assignments. One of the most important committees on the County Council is the Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee. PHED, as it is called, will be chaired by Councilmember Hans Riemer, joined by incoming council members, Will Jawando and Andrew Friedson. PHED handles land use and […]

The next County Council, which will be seated on Dec. 3, will decide the county’s next steps, if any, on small cell towers. Lacking a clear majority for passage, the current council deferred action on zoning regs that would have decided where the towers could be placed. State law prevents a county council from enacting […]

Council President Hans Riemer met with reporters where the discussion focused on the bicycle master plan, small cell towers and other topics.

Residents came out in force to express their opposition to zoning regulations that would decide where and how small cell towers could be placed in neighborhoods. Here are some of the arguments against the towers: Not everyone opposed the towers. Here are some of the arguments in favor of the towers: During the testimony, council […]

Dozens of people Tuesday night expressed their opposition to proposed zoning rules that would regulate where and how small cell towers would be placed in neighborhoods, many of them citing health concerns for the next wave in wireless communications. However, the Federal Communications Commission has ruled that local governments cannot use health reasons for denying […]

Montgomery County Council President Hans Riemer met with reporters Monday. Topics of discussion included: a proposal to name Woodward High School after Josiah Henson, accessory dwelling units, alcohol production in the Ag Reserve and small cell towers.

At his regular meeting with reporters, Montgomery County Council President Hans Riemer discussed student activism to end gun violence, state legislation that could pre-empt local control of small cell towers, and the importance of the collective bargaining process.

The Montgomery County Council will begin considering a zoning text amendment that would create an approach for the county to deal small cell phone infrastructure. Current rules handle towers hundreds of feet tall that need hundreds of feet of setbacks. The industry, however, has been pushing toward smaller antennas, often on existing utility poles. The […]

UPDATED The FCC has revised the deadline for public comments about small cell infrastructure until March 8, following a request by several national organizations. You can find more information about the timeline, here. ORIGINAL POST Montgomery County Council President Roger Berliner has written a letter to County Executive Ike Leggett about telecommunications facilities. The letter […]