Garda Residents Petition to Remove Nearby Mobile Phone Repeaters
They have already gathered three hundred and fifty signatures, and the petition collection is ongoing: those antennas up there, in the heart of the historic center, are not wanted.
There is some unrest in Garda regarding the new mobile phone repeater installed on the terrace of a hotel, amidst the town’s houses. Also, because about thirty meters in a straight line, on the roof of another hotel, there’s already another antenna.
A small notice has appeared on the doors of some shops, stating: “We are collecting signatures for the removal or relocation of the two mobile phone repeaters placed on two Garda hotels and to prevent the installation of more in the vicinity of homes.” The support is strong.
Petitions and Requests
There are two petitions. The first is addressed to Arpav, the regional environmental prevention agency: it requests that the antennas be moved or removed.
The other is directed to the mayor and all municipal councilors: a “resolution is requested to renew the existing installations of mobile phone repeaters in the historic center and to prevent future installations,” unless they are placed “at a distance of no less than one kilometer from any residence.”
However, the request made to the municipal authorities will likely have no effect: in fact, the jurisdiction on this matter does not lie with the Municipality, but with the Region.
Reactions and Positions of Authorities
“On our part,” explains Giorgio Comencini, the mayor, “we have resisted the installation requests of the antennas, to the point that the municipal building commission has always denied permission.”
However, the license-holding companies have circumvented this obstacle by obtaining environmental permits from the Region through the regional technical commission, which is a higher body than ours, thus nullifying the municipal denial.
“I wonder where the respect for local autonomy is.” Regarding the ongoing signature collection, Comencini states that he “shares the citizens’ concerns” and has already requested an electromagnetic pollution level assessment from Arpav.
Opinions and on-site Situations
Among Garda residents, however, there is growing unrest. Some have pointed out that the sign indicating “construction of a radio base station for mobile telephony” is hidden behind a roller shutter on a glass wall, partly obscured by oleander plants.
Meanwhile, on the annex of Hotel Giardinetto, the antenna is already operational, matching the one on Hotel Cortina, just a few meters away.
“Some nights,” says a local resident, “the antenna makes a strange, continuous noise that bounces off the house walls and keeps people awake.” It is not a pleasant neighbor.
