Guildwood church wants to cancel cell tower deal
Announcement surprises opponents, politicians
Suggesting peace with its neighbours is more important than funds for charity work or better cellphone reception, a Guildwood church says it wants to cancel a signed deal to build a communications tower, 
The announcement by letter last week surprised the tower's opponents, who when the news broke of the proposal last December had feared the 35-metre structure would be built by now.
Instead, Guildwood Community Presbyterian Church, which signed a 20-year lease last July with Bell Mobility, "has formally requested to be released" from the deal, according to a letter sent by Bruce Morrison, the church's spokesperson on the issue.
The church's decision to allow the tower on its Guildwood Parkway property at Livingston Road was made with care, Morrison wrote, and meant to raise funds for charitable projects as well as to improve local cellular service.
"We still believe this to be true," the letter added, but the church realizes now its local leadership, called the session, "under-estimated the severity of the reaction" and has concluded the lease agreement "will impair the ability of the church to serve the community."
Opponents - some of whom picketed the church before services in December - argued the tower Bell proposed as a large flagpole would be a visual blight in Guildwood Village and expose residents and children in nearby schools to radiation.
Bell and the church argued there were no known risks from the exposure and planned to build the tower in May.
In an interview this week, Morrison said the church was disappointed by how some neighbours responded to the plan: protest signs on lawns, graffiti on the church and insistence the tower will put residents' health in danger.
All money from the lease would go to West Hill Community Services, the Urban Outreach Dental Clinic in Scarborough and other projects helping people locally, nationally and internationally, Morrison said.
"You have a small and vocal group" within the community, he argued, "who don't care about that."
Nevertheless, the session, the same body of 24 elders who signed the lease, told the congregation on June 29 it wants to cancel.
"The paramount thing for the session," Morrison said its members decided last month, "was to expand and embrace the community in the mission of the church".
"Were we bullied into this decision? No."
On Tuesday, Bell spokesperson Mark Langton said the company will talk to the church and hear its concerns but will not refuse to cancel the deal and look for another site.
"We'll have to see how it goes, because it is quite a switch in direction" and Bell has a lot of requests from local residents and businesses for better service, Langton said. "That was the best site and remains the best site for us."
Last week, Karina Gelo of Guildwood No Tower said she was happy but shocked by the church's announcement.
She said she last met with Morrison on the resident group's behalf in March and then in April Morrison informed her the church would not break the lease. "Obviously, they've reconsidered our concerns," she said.
In May, Gelo sent a response to Morrison warning her group's membership "is incensed" by the church's refusal to change its mind. The residents can't understand, she said, "why the church continues on a course that alienates its neighbours, raises public ire and causes division in the Guildwood community."
Despite the City of Toronto's own health concerns, the federal government held sole power to approve the tower. City councillors found they could do little but declare to Industry Canada an "impasse" had occurred. Both sides still await the federal agency's ruling.
Ward 43 (Scarborough East) Councillor Paul Ainslie, who hosted the December meeting and moved the motion to declare the impasse, said Friday he's "as surprised as everybody else" by the church's decision,
Church leaders had previously "seemed set" in their position the agreement and the tower were justified, Ainslie said. "I guess they're trying to be good neighbours."
