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Concerns about sacrificing green space and proximity to schools prompted Regina’s executive committee to postpone a decision to sell SaskTel four plots of land for new cell towers to expand its 5G network.

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“Nobody can argue with 5G or the benefits it will bring, … the problem is where do we put these awfully ugly towers,” the adviser said. Bob Hawkins (Ward 2) said in a meeting Wednesday. “This is where we as advisers have a choice.”

In a report to the committee Wednesday morning, the administration recommended members approve four “option to buy” agreements on locations currently owned by the city.

Two of the sites would be used to replace existing cell towers nearby with larger structures that could handle the equipment needed for a 5G network. The other two sites would house brand new 45.7 meter towers in two high density residential neighborhoods.

One of the proposed new towers is for Fairchild Park in Harbor Landing, just behind Ecole Harbor Landing Primary School and St Kateri Tekawitha.

Brendan Hanson, a property manager at SaskTel, said a private company, Harvard Development in this case, had been approached to install the tower in one of the nearby Winners or Walmart parking lots. But after months of discussion, no deal could be reached, prompting the Crown to identify city-owned green space as the next best option. Hanson said talks are ongoing with the school board about the project, but no concrete response has been received.

“I don’t know why public land is considered by SaskTel to be more available than private land like parking spaces,” Hawkins, whose neighborhood includes Harbor Landing, said during the debate, while noting that SaskTel has the power to expropriate land, private or public. , if he sees fit. Hanson said it was an option they hoped they didn’t need.

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“Before I can make an intelligent decision on this, I need to hear from the public and, in this case, the school board in particular,” Hawkins said.

But SaskTel argued that approval of the option agreements would trigger a 30-day public comment period with residents within a radius of three times the height of the proposed tower and that a notice would be placed in the Leader-Post. .

The Crown would then go back to the city to essentially get its blessing, but at that point the final decision rests with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada or ISED, which regulates cell towers.

“ISED usually listens to the municipality where the structure is proposed to be built, so if the city just said they don’t want the structure at all, then we probably won’t build it,” said Daryl Godfrey, director of technology. for SaskTel, assured the committee. “We generally haven’t had that in Regina because we think we’ve had a really good relationship with the City of Regina on our wireless network builds, so hopefully that great relationship continues.”

Despite the reassurance, Hawkins expressed concern that residents could be stuck with cellphone towers they didn’t want if the council approved the purchase agreements now and the fate of the project was left to federal authorities. He proposed a hoist motion that would see public consultation carried out before making any decision on the sale of municipal land, which was passed by a 4-3 vote.

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Councilors Hawkins, Andrew Stevens (Ward 3), Shanon Zachidniak (Ward 8) and Lori Bresciani (4) voted in favour. With the proposed second new cell tower in the Bresciani neighborhood, she also expressed concern about how the project would be received by residents.

Councilors Dan LeBlanc (Ward 6), Joh Findura (Ward 5) and Mayor Sandra Masters voted against the expulsion.

“I voted against because I believe the outlined process achieves the same results,” Masters told media after the meeting.

“The city has the option to vote with no contest based on the feedback and the federal settlement would procedurally reflect that or not.”

The terms of the public consultation have not been defined, nor the date on which the report must return to the committee for a vote.

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