New Cell Tower Boosts Safety in Marin County Community After Years of Advocacy

For a community in Marin County, this past Memorial Day weekend marked a milestone five years in the making. The successful installation of a new cell phone tower, a project born from persistent community advocacy and collaboration, promises a new era of connectivity and, most importantly, enhanced public safety for this unincorporated area of San Anselmo.

The journey to this critical infrastructure upgrade has been a long and cooperative one. For a number of years, PG&E has worked alongside Verizon, Sleepy Hollow residents, San Domenico School officials, the Sleepy Hollow Homeowners Association, Marin County Supervisors, and even a U.S. congressman to address the area's notoriously poor cellular coverage and capacity.

“This is a big deal for public safety for this community as well as for a major customer of ours. I’m hugely appreciative of our local electric team who was able to nimbly support this request for a critical public safety project as well as our partners in service planning and Business Energy Solutions,” said Dave Canny, vice president for PG&E’s North Coast Region.

The need for reliable cell service in Sleepy Hollow cannot be overstated. For decades, residents have grappled with terrible reception, often relying solely on Wi-Fi for phone calls — a solution that proves inadequate during power outages.

This vulnerability was tragically highlighted in October 2020. During a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) initiated by PG&E due to high fire-risk conditions, a residential fire broke out. The power outage hindered landlines, and the pervasive lack of cellular service created a dire situation. A gardener, witnessing the fire, had to run to the top of a hill just to get enough reception to call 911, causing a critical delay in emergency response. Tragically, firefighters found a resident deceased inside the home.

The incident also exposed another critical flaw. The county's emergency alert system, which depends on cellular networks for reverse-911 alerts, was rendered ineffective. Sheriff's deputies had to resort to door-to-door notifications, a far less efficient method in an urgent crisis.

In the wake of this tragedy, Sleepy Hollow residents and local officials redoubled their efforts, contacting all wireless carriers to express their grave concerns and plead for a cell tower. Verizon Wireless was the only carrier to step up and commit to a solution.

PG&E’s role was pivotal in bringing the new Verizon tower online, primarily by connecting it to the PG&E electrical infrastructure. This crucial step, however, wasn't without hurdles. A challenge involving PG&E’s safety rules regarding safe-backing procedures briefly threatened to delay the tower's installation. But through diligent collaboration, the PG&E North Coast Team, Business Energy Solutions, and local leaders swiftly found a safe solution to keep the project on track.

The urgency to get the tower operational was palpable, especially with the looming threat of wildfire season. Tony Walls, PG&E senior manager, emphasized this, stating, "Getting the cell phone tower up and running for late May was particularly important because wildfire season was starting and the community knew that a long and hot summer was approaching."

Laura Elliot, manager of High Tech and Real Estate Large and Emerging Customers at PG&E, shared her team's enthusiasm for the project's timely completion.

"My team and I supported this escalation, and I am thrilled to share that we were able to expedite the energization and meter set for the site in San Anselmo," she said. "The site was energized on time and on schedule! We worked in tandem with our North Coast Regional leadership team and the Telco Service Planning team with an initial goal of making sure the job stayed on schedule. With further review, we were able to assign crews to get the work done.”

Echoing this sentiment, Laura Wetmore from PG&E’s Business Energy Solutions added, “A big THANK YOU to the local team for the partnership here!! We’re so grateful to work closely when these things come up.”

This new tower is more than just infrastructure; it's a lifeline. It underscores the vital role of reliable connectivity in ensuring public safety, especially in vulnerable communities. Verizon's commitment, bolstered by the collaborative spirit of PG&E and local stakeholders, has addressed a critical communication gap.

The Sleepy Hollow community recently celebrated this hard-won victory at their summer social, honoring Verizon, PG&E, elected officials, and the many community members whose dedication brought this vital safety project to fruition.