To the honorable Mayor and fellow city council members: I want to give my complete support to Rockland's Planning Board and its chairman, Erik Laustsen, and applaud his position to not sign off on the proposed cell tower at 182 Camden Street on legal grounds — legal grounds based on pre-existing Rockland codes and regulations which preceded the application to build the 120- to 140-foot transmission tower, and therefore prohibit its construction in that location.

The fact that the planning board was a named defendant in the lawsuit filed by Bay Communications and not included in the negotiations for this groundless settlement, nor even served as a defendant until way too late in the process is a violation of the law, and should vacate any and all agreements.

Now, I realize decisions were made using certain councils and efforts were put forward. However, they were not done thoroughly, broke existing protocols and excluded, either by design or mistake, the very body who legally had the right to make this decision.

I have heard some opinions regarding how this is a losing fight and we cannot go up against these big companies with big lawyers and deep pockets, etc., and it would cost huge piles of money in a drawn-out process to win this battle. However, inquiries to private legal council have pointed out that these cases move very quickly because judges do not like to be zoning boards of appeal and just look at the facts.

A "simple review of the facts" would then follow and, in my opinion, these facts would show that, as the planning board believes, the laws already in place and the timelines for filings were met, and this will vacate this settlement agreement and prevent this tower's being built in this location.

In setting goals for 2021, it is my hope that council not only listens to the people of Rockland, who gave them their mandate to represent their wishes, but to take action which are legal, adhere to existing codes and rules, are inclusive, and done in solidarity with our planning board. 

Jack Copp lives in Rockland