I know I enter a Dead Zone when driving through the valley at La Brea and Slauson. But imagine giant telephone towers at the highest peak on top of one of hte highest buildings in the area - the CVS at the corner of Slauson and Overhill.

Talk about eyesore. Imagine the blight. To me, the downside wouldn't be worth the better cell phone connection (unless I lived in this area - but then you'd see the towers all the time).

Thankfully the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission agreed and denied a T-Mobile cellular telephone tower in a split decision.

The Planning Commission reversed its earlier position and denied a T-Mobile application to build a nine-antenna tower on the roof of a CVS Pharmacy at 4501 W. Slauson Ave.

"This will blight (the pharmacy). It will blight our community," said Commissioner Leslie Bellamy, who represents Baldwin Hills.

Why the change of heart? Community activism, baby. Check out this video.Boycotts and pickets oh my.


T-Mobile representatives at the hearing said the tower was needed to ensure coverage in the area, calling the site the "last and only candidate."

With Wednesday's denial of the zoning permit application, the matter will likely head back to the Board of Supervisors. T-Mobile has until March 4 to appeal the decision.