The handful of residents in Baker Canyon, a bucolic cluster of homes in an alcove off Sierra Highway in Canyon Country, have enjoyed dramatic views of cliffs and hills carved out around them for decades.

But lately there's been a more dramatic site to see: the activity on a ridge separating the rural canyon from the relative hustle and bustle of the rest of Canyon Country.

One owner of property there, Bodie Cook, is in talks with Verizon Wireless to place a cell phone tower atop a ridge on Cook's property.

Another is grading his property but no one knows for what purpose as he hasn't filed for the necessary permits with Los Angeles County.

Residents view both actions as outrageous intrusions on their peaceful, rural way of life.

"I'm fighting for my way of life," said Stacey Lubell, 72. "This is an invasion."

Lubell has lived on a half-acre ranch abutting the ridge for 26 years. She keeps horses there, and enjoys entertaining company on a large wooden deck complete with a spa, overlooking a pen where her horses parade.

The cell tower would rise 80 feet into the air from the 30-foot-tall ridge next to her home.

"It's going to stand out like the Statue of Liberty," Lubell said. "The hum of the motors alone, and the once-a-month frequency of (it) being maintained is going to scare the life out of the horses."

Ten residents met with four Verizon representatives Wednesday night to hash out the details of the cellular service provider's plan. They were not comforted when told that the tower would masquerade as a pine tree.

"It'll look like a green toothpick," said Herb Ross, whose home sits atop a hill east of Lubell.

On Monday, Lubell stood on her property and gestured across her acreage to the relatively low-lying brush and trees in the scenic valley. A pine tree wouldn't fit in there, she said.

Ross said the residents left the meeting encouraged by Verizon's seeming willingness to work with them. After a two-hour meeting saturated with sarcastic remarks and skeptical attendees, Verizon seemed willing to consider placing the tower on the flat portion of the property at 16280 Sierra Highway.

The top of the ridge is zoned for light agricultural use, so Verizon has applied for a conditional use permit with the county to place its tower there. A hearing officer will approve or deny the permit on April 6.

The area west of the ridge, away from Baker Canyon, is zoned for commercial use and wouldn't require a permit. However, Verizon officials said building a tower below the ridge would require them to construct it 30 to 40 feet taller. They chose the ridge location because it would provide the best coverage for their customers, they said.

Lubell organized her community and collected 23 signatures in a petition she presented to Verizon. The outcome was Wednesday's meeting at the Valencia Library.

But the cell tower is only half the concern for Baker Canyon's inhabitants.

The second is the curious grading next door to the proposed cell tower site. Since property owner Dean Matthews hasn't applied for a grading permit, neither the neighbors nor the county know what he's been up to for the past year as he plowed into his ridge, upturning soil.
On his property, viewable from Lubell's back yard, sit a few metal structures including a cargo container and what appeared to be a bulldozer. A call placed to him on Friday was not returned by that night.

A county staffer said Matthews was cited for grading without a permit and is still in violation. He could be subject to code enforcement fees if the grading continues, officials said.

Lubell said she suspected Matthews was going to use his property, which is also zoned for agriculture, for storage. The county staff said storage isn't permitted there unless it's part of another, permitted use such as a plant nursery.

The staffer characterized the property as a "very active code enforcement case."

"We're trying to get him to comply. He's come in and taken some steps toward compliance, but nothing" concrete has come of it.
But the residents are optimistic that they may have a victory with Verizon.

Like Ross, Lubell said she felt encouraged after the meeting that Verizon will work on a compromise that's agreeable to her and her neighbors as well as Cook and Verizon.

Verizon spokesman Ken Muche couldn't confirm that Verizon was reconsidering the location of its proposed tower. He noted that Verizon has an obligation under its Federal Communications Commission license to provide service for its customers, some of whom are emergency personnel who would be first responders during a crisis or natural disaster.

Some Baker Canyon residents said they were Verizon customers with poor service at home. But the rural life just might be worth the price.

"(Service is) spotty, no question," Lubell told Verizon officials. "I just don't want to live with you."