Bell wants to build the 70-metre tower on the east side of County Road 27, between the 6th and 7th Line, 1.5 kilometres south of downtown Thornton. The proposed tower would be behind a car salvage lot.
The idea of a possible tower has upset some of the residents who live in the area.
"Bell Mobility has proposed to put this tower right on top of residential homes, instead of out in the middle of a field somewhere," said Dave Johnston, who lives across the street from the proposed site.
Industry Canada is responsible for the regulation of cell phone tower locations, but Bell also has to consult the township.
The township boundary between Essa and Innisfil is County Road 27. The proposed tower location is on land in Innisfil's boundaries, but because of the close proximity to Essa residents, the township also has looked at the issue.
"The problem up here is that there is no protocol or guidelines within the two townships to where these towers can be located," said Johnston.
"The landowner calls the township, and the planning department says we have no bylaws or policies or previous procedures to say you can't put it there, so they say OK."
Innisfil council is also looking at what can be done. Innisfil Deputy Mayor Gord Wauchope and Ward 1 Councillor Paul Wardlaw both attended a meeting Sunday night in Thornton.
It was arranged by residents to see if there was a way to relocate the structure. Council members listened to residents' concerns and said the township was looking at the problem.
"It's really federal jurisdiction, but the town can suggest certain things," Wauchope said yesterday (Thursday).
Innisfil township staff is working on a report for council, and have also asked to see if Bell had identified any other potential tower sites.
At a meeting Feb 21, Essa council agreed to officially oppose the location.
They are sending a letter to Bell outlining concerns the tower could have a negative impact on the growth of Thornton.
In the meantime, Wauchope said he advised residents to voice their concerns directly to Bell.
Despite the close location to homes, Bell said residents should not be concerned about safety issues.
"Over the last 20 years, Bell has built thousands of cellular sites across Canada, and all of them meet or exceed federal health and safety regulations, which are among the most stringent in the world," said Mohammed Nakhooda, a spokesperson for Bell.
While many factors are taken into account when selecting a tower location, the main one is providing the best cellular service for the area, Nakhooda said.
He also said Bell tries to make these decisions in conjunction with the community, and that is what the upcoming meeting is for.
Bell decided to build the tower after receiving many complaints from customers in the area. They complained of frequent dropped calls and limited availability of a signal.
The public information session will be held Wednesday at the Thornton Community Centre, 242 Barrie St.
The meeting will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
