At a special general meeting of the BWNA on Thursday, January 28, the group voted overwhelmingly to adopt a resolution stating that BWNA "opposes Clearwire's plans for a wireless tower on Northeast Fremont Street near 37th Avenue or any Priority 4 residential street and recommends that the City of Portland Reject the company’s request for a tower and adjacent equipment cabinet."

Read the full text of the BWNA resolution

Thanks to the BWNA Land Use committee, BWNA president Al Ellis, and Bruce Crest, former BWNA president and Administrator of the Metropolitan Area Communications Commission, for their research into this issue.

Thanks to the all the residents of Beaumont Wilshire who showed up to make their voices heard and the volunteers who leafleted the neighborhood to get the word out.

UPDATE: On March 3rd, the Board of Directors of Central Northeast Neighbors, a coalition of eight NE Portland neighborhoods, voted unanimously to endorse the BWNA cell tower resolution.

On Monday, March 1st, a PP&L construction crew began work to build the proposed cell tower at NE Fremont and NE Alameda (37th), cutting and marking the sidewalk and moving cables. The work continued on Tuesday. However, Clearwire was not eligible to submit its application for the tower to the City until April 7th, 30 days after it completed its requirement to hold a neighborhood meeting to take input on the tower project from the residents.

This premature construction kickoff raises questions about whether the City's new process for public-right-of-way cell towers actually gives citizens a voice, and whether it has any teeth to control the construction of new cell towers by the various wireless companies.

Construction work continued full steam ahead two days later on Wednesday, March 3rd, despite the Stop Work Order issued Tuesday afternoon by the City's Office of Cable Communications & Franchise Management. A construction crew with flaggers installed a new transformer in preparation for the proposed cell tower going up.

• KATU News: Proposed cell tower raises the ire of neighbors
• OPB News: Constuction Of Portland Cell Phone Tower Starts Before Permission Is Given

On Tuesday June 1, over sixty people gathered at 37th and Fremont for a RespectPDX demonstration and bake sale. Despite the rain, we had a substantial turnout of families from the neighborhood. Children in raincoats brought hand-made signs like "No Cell Tower in My Bedroom Window" and "No cell tower — too noisy". The crowd also included people from other Portland neighborhoods, including Brentwood Darlington, Sunnyside, Parkrose, Alameda, Irvington, and Piedmont. All expressed a strong opposition to cell towers in residential neighborhoods as they munched on homemade cookies. We raised $145 for our RespectPDX legal fund.

The following signs recently appeared on the NE Fremont/Alameda utility pole targeted by Clearwire: