The term of the lease is five years, and the lease will also automatically renew for another five-year term at the same rent unless written notice is given. The district must give T-Mobile a year's notice to terminate the deal.
"T-Mobile, like other wireless carriers, is responding to unprecedented customer demand for coverage in their homes and neighborhoods. Our proposed facility at Eastvalley Elementary meets that need for the surrounding neighborhood," Ann Brooks, a senior manager at T-Mobile USA, told the Journal.
The tower will be able to accommodate at least three wireless communication providers, and if T-Mobile sublets any part, the school district would get at least $800 per month under that deal, according to the contract.
Three residents who live near the school, on Lower Roswell Road, won a 30-day restraining order on Sept. 21 to halt work on the tower. They believe the school board violated state Open Meetings Law on July 23 by voting on the issue, which had been put on the agenda the same day of the meeting by the Rev. Dr. John Crooks.
Board member Alison Bartlett acknowledged that mistakes were made.
"I do recognize that a mistake was made - that when we put stuff on the agenda, we need to put it on the agenda ahead of time. It's not a mistake in that we did something legally wrong. That answer's no. But I recognize in an effort of transparency ... I need to be more proactive in getting information out to the community, and we've agreed to put it back on the agenda so we can now hear from the community and we'll be addressing that next Thursday," she said.
Board members plan to vote again on the issue on Oct. 22. There are already 25 such towers on Cobb school district property, said Dr. Gordon Pritz, associate superintendent.
The district earns about $20,000 per tower each year, for a combined annual income of more than $500,000, Pritz said. The hosting school keeps 60 percent of that amount.
Under the Eastvalley deal, the five-year rent of $150,000 works out to about $30,000 per year, though the rent would be paid upfront in one lump sum.
At first glance, Eastvalley's Parent Teacher Association seems to be in favor of the tower.
Janie Bunch, Eastvalley PTA's secretary, first told the Journal on Thursday that the PTA's seven-member executive board of which she is a member had endorsed the tower. She later called back in a panic and said she had misspoken and that the PTA is neutral on the issue.
"We cannot say the PTA executive board is taking a stance on this," she said, though she and fellow Eastvalley PTA leaders Tammy Feilmeier, Kristen Pyle, Susan Larsen and Shay Antoniades are among those who have signed an online petition in favor of the tower.
"The monetary benefit would be wonderful for our children," said Bunch, who works for the school district as a substitute teacher and tutor.
T-Mobile will pay a $5,000 "contract consideration fee" to Eastvalley's Parent Teacher Association upon execution of the deal, according to the contract.
But school board members heard from several neighbors on Wednesday morning, most of whom do not want the cell-phone tower in their neighborhood.
Of the 12 speakers to address the board, only Liz Gainsford, who said she has two children at the school and owns three homes in the area, supports the tower.
"Aesthetically, have you looked at Eastvalley? It's not that good looking, so I don't see how a tower is really going to change the aesthetics of that school. But perhaps some of the revenue can help improve the facility, the technology at the school," said Gainsford, who is vice president of the school's foundation.
Peter Tennis, a commercial real estate broker whose four children are graduates of Cobb schools, said he was disappointed he had to address the board.
"A cell tower at this school is going to lower the property values in the neighborhood. A cell tower in a commercial district is going to raise the value of the commercial district," Tennis said. "I will guarantee you that the housing from that area will lose value. I haven't done an appraisal but I suggest that you do the same thing. Loss of revenue here. Gain of revenue in commercial."
Pam Giannoni said there are reasons why cell phone towers are not located near where children congregate.
"The fact that the board is not constrained by these zoning laws put in effect for these regions is precisely why T-Mobile has targeted our schools for towers. Rather than take the appropriate action and tell them 'no, we won't jeopardize our students' welfare,' you've chosen to exploit zoning immunity for monetary gain and allowed this to proceed. I feel your actions are negligent and your lack of concern about this is baffling to me," she said.
Giannoni said being complacent about a potentially dangerous situation such as radiation emission 50 feet from her child, five days a week, would make her an unfit parent.
"For me, this is about my son. His name is Leo. He's only seven years old and he's the most important part of my world. Now I realize to you Leo is just one of hundreds of children in this school. But each one of those children is someone's child, someone's world. How can we gamble with our children? How can you gamble with our son Leo? To you he's worth 15 cents a day. To me he's worth everything. ... The risk, no matter how great or small you deem it to be, cannot be taken," she said.
The 15 cents a day figure is what parents say the tower will generate in revenue for each student at the school.
Janis Snipes lives a house away from the school.
"I'm against the cell phone tower, but even more than that I'm against the way things have been handled," she said.
Brenda Harris, who lives within a mile of school, said she moved to east Cobb for its quality of life. To her, the issue brings to mind a biblical story where Esau sold his birth right for "a mess of pottage." The school board is trading the beauty of the area for money a cell tower would bring in, she said.
"Eastvalley isn't sole owner of that birthright. We the neighborhood and we the community and we the parents are co-owners of that birthright, and we do not want to sell it," she said.
Ben Skaggs, an architect, said he's not opposed to cell phone antennae in general.
"I've done these things before, but I can tell you right now that this cell phone tower being placed at this location is in violation of any normal regulation that controls these towers, he said.
Max Warner lives next door to the school, where the view from his house is that of a six-foot, chain link fence, retention pond and jungle gym set.
"We have eight trailers and now you want to put a cell phone tower in that mix of stuff that we have to look at? This is a little bitty school ground. The kids have got no baseball diamond, no softball diamond, no soccer field. All they've got is a walking track, and now we're going to take more space away from them," Warner said.
Warner also reminded board members of a previous statement by Crooks.
"If you don't want one next to you, please don't vote to put it next to me and my other neighbors," Warner said.
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