Washington Extends Cell Phone Tower Freeze Until The End of The Year

In Yakima, Washington the cell phone moratorium has been extended by the Planning Commission through the end of the year. The city staff has been working alongside residents and members of the telecommunications industry to revise the city’s regulations since April. The previous moratorium adopted by the city was supposed to expire on October 1^st.

Industry representatives pushed for a shorter extension, but on Tuesday the members of the council voted to push the deadline back until the end of the year. “We don’t want to make any mistakes,” Councilwoman Maureen Adkison said.

The committee is working to draft city standards that require towers to blend in with surrounding trees when they build in a residential area. The city also encourages the tower companies to use commercial property for their newest towers.