City Says Yes to Extending Nextel's Lease to Operate Lime Ridge Cell Towers

The City Council approved Nextel's request to extend its lease of one acre of land in the Lime Ridge Open Space to operate cell phone towers on the peak through 2017. 

The council's 4-0 vote came after representatives from Save Mt. Diablo explained why it is important that the terms of lease contain protections for local vegetation and wildlife. Seth Adams, Save Mt. Diablo's director of land programs, also noted that there had been a tremendous amount of collaboration by all parties concerned.

Under the terms of the lease, Nextel will work to protect the biological diversity at the peak, including two recently identified endangered plant species. The company has agreed to hire a botanist to study the site and surrounding areas in and devise a plan for plant restoration plan for the area.

Nextel will pay a license fee of $4,072 per month to the city, with that fee going up 3 percent per year. When the lease runs out in 2017, Nextel will be required to remove all alterations, additions and improvements made to the area, including utility lines and poles. 

Save Mt. Diablo, the largest environmental group in Contra Costa County, initially opposed the lease extension because the company wanted to expand communications facilities and add equipment to the site. Several towers now stand there, along with a storage shed, and they are surrounded by a chain link fence. 

Before Tuesday's meeting, Nextel already agreed to back off from the plan to add new equipment and enlarge the telecommunications facilities. 

The city and Nextel have been trying to work out a lease extension since 2008. Since 2008, the city has been working closely with community stakeholders, including the Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation and Save Mount Diablo to develop terms "that mitigate potential impact on the surrounding open space areas" 

Save Mt. Diablo is particularly interested in preserving the newly discovered Lime Ridge Navarettia and the Lime Ridge Woollystar.

City Council member Kish Rajan recused himself from voting on this matter because he said his profession is selling products and services to wireless carriers in North America; he wanted to avoid the appearance of the conflict of interest.