Planting tree won’t stop 5G cell tower

There’s an idea passing through Denver neighborhood circles that homeowners can plant trees to keep out free-standing cell towers.

Technology companies plan to more than double the number of 5G towers in Denver and they can’t be built near trees, they say.

But it’s not quite that simple, city officials say. Hundreds of new cell towers are inevitable for rights of way in Denver’s neighborhoods, and the city has little control over where they go. And new trees won’t make much difference.

The new 5G towers began infiltrating Denver’s neighborhoods in 2017 — thick, 30-foot-tall metal poles that are replacing much taller traditional cell towers.

It’s true that these new cell towers can’t be built within 15 to 25 feet of a tree, depending on the tree’s size, said Cynthia Karvaski, a spokesperson for the parks department. But that rule only holds for older, established trees, and cell towers wouldn’t be proposed near those trees anyway.

If a small cell tower is already planned for a specific plot, city officials won’t permit a tree to be planted there instead, Karvaski said. And if it’s decided a tower is needed in an area that already has some relatively young trees, those trees could be relocated.

The rumor that trees can prevent installation of the towers pops up from time to time, Karvaski said.

Kathy Kilmer heard about it at a recent Highlands neighborhood meeting and brought the notion back to her community, CoryMerrill, with a social media post.

“I just wanted people to know,” shesaid.

Kilmer said she has three reasons why she wouldn’t want a 5G tower in her neighborhood. First and foremost, she is concerned there isn’t enough science to ensure that the towers don’t harm

those living nearby, although the American Cancer Society says there’s little evidence to link cancer and other health problems to cell tower exposure.

Second, Kilmer said she has heard the towers can emit a constant noise. Third — and mostly simply — they’re unsightly, she said.

Denver residents can comment on the city Department of Transportation and Infrastructure’s permitting process, and applicants must address technical concerns presented, said department spokesperson Heather Burke. But state and federal laws still require city officials to approve applications for new small cell tower sites within 90 days “like any other utility.”

Currently, five companies are allowed to build small cell towers in Denver, Burke said. They are Verizon, Zayo, Crown Castle, AT&T and Mobilitie. So far, they have built 163 stand-alone small cell towers, and 419 more are planned, she said.

Even more antennas have been attached to existing utility poles, street lights and other infrastructure, Burke said. More than 1,600 so-called co-located antennas are either under review, pending construction or have already been built.

Part of the current push for new small cell towers is the transition to 5G service, which provides faster data speeds for more users.

Verizon already has 5G service in the Highlands, south of 37th Street between Tejon and Navajo streets, LoDo and around Coors Field, said company spokesperson Heidi Flato. The service is also available at Empower Field at Mile High. Karvaski said the parks department encourages residents to plant trees, but she wants to curb expectations that they might prevent new cell towers from being installed.