Now they can celebrate a hard fought victory.
Tsawwassen and Point Roberts residents, including members of the Cross Border Coalition to Stop the Radio Towers, had Nov. 30 circled on the calendar as it was the deadline for a controversial radio station to file a further appeal in U.S. court. Nothing was filed by that date, which means the application to erect radio transmission towers just south of the international border in Point Roberts is officially dead.
Now that the deadline has passed, those who have battling the application on several fronts are elated they came out victorious in what's been a costly and lengthy battle.
"I am reminded of the great Yogi Berra quote, 'It's not over 'til it's over,' and finally... it is really over," the coalition's Armene Belless told the Optimist this week. "No radio towers will be built by the border."
"We are gratified that our small communities have prevailed in a case where we were outgunned and out-spent," added Jennifer Urquhart, the coalition's treasurer. "This win shows what can be done when ordinary citizens of two countries unite behind a common
cause - in this case to protect our quality of life and health from an unwanted tower array on our shared peninsula."
Urquhart said the coalition, with the help of hundreds of volunteers and donor funds and inkind services, was able to drive the effort to a successful conclusion. Total legal costs are estimated at $250,000, about $15,000 of which still needs to be raised.
Delta South MLA Vicki Huntington congratulated the citizens' group.
"It is a wonderful Christmas present for the entire community. The Cross Border Coalition (to Stop the Radio Towers) achieved an enormous victory by engaging in thorough research and consistent opposition. As Deltans know so well, it isn't easy to fight the system and it is harder still to win. But win they did and we are all grateful."
BBC Broadcasting Inc. had been seeking to overturn a decision by Whatcom County to reject the company's application to erect five 45-metre (150-foot) steel towers at an undeveloped lot on McKenzie Way, about 330 metres from the Tsawwassen border. The company lost an appeal in Skagit County Superior Court, but could have filed an appeal of that ruling.
The county had earlier ruled the towers exceeded height limits in the American peninsula.
BBC Broadcasting recently submitted a declaration to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission that another court appeal would not be filed, but the the company is seeking renewal of its license to continue broadcasting using its current antenna in Ferndale. That infrastructure beams radio station Sher-E-Punjab AM 1550's signal into the Lower Mainland.
For more information about the coalition or to donate, go to www.notowers.webs.com.
