Ocean City Neighbors Raise Concerns Over Proposed Cell Tower

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Ocean City residents urged City Council to reconsider a proposed 125-foot cell tower near 33rd Street, raising concerns about aviation safety, notice to nearby property owners and the effect on homes and health close to the site.

During public comment, Jacob Mack said he was worried about the tower's location near the Ocean City Airport flight path. Mack, who said he is a former private pilot, asked whether the Federal Aviation Administration had been notified and said he would not want to be flying near the structure. Archie Sirianni said he shared concerns about hazards to aviation.

Residents also questioned whether the tower had to be built at that location and whether other sites, including areas near 36th Street, had been considered.

In response, city solicitor Dorothy McCrosson outlined the history of the proposal. She said the city identified a coverage need in that part of Ocean City and previously considered a lower antenna installation on the Compass building on 34th Street. According to McCrosson, neighbors objected to that plan because the antennas would have been at about the level of second-floor bedrooms.

McCrosson said the Planning Board denied site plan approval for the Compass building application and the city was then sued in federal court under the federal Telecommunications Act.

The city then months reviewing locations within the needed coverage area, McCrosson said. She said sites were ruled out because of wetlands, wetland buffers, Green Acres encumbrances and other constraints. The current site, she said, was the last location the city was able to identify, though wetlands delineation still had not been completed and FAA approval, which she said is the applicant's responsibility, had not been finalized.

McCrosson also addressed complaints about notice to neighbors. She said the applicant complied with the law in presenting its application to the Planning Board because no variance relief was required, which is why nearby residents did not receive notice.

Residents said they remained concerned. Rick Flounders said his property line is about 50 feet from the proposed site and that he believed he and neighbors should have been notified. Greg Sirianni argued that the tower could hurt nearby property values and said he believed other options should be explored.

"It's cited over and over again that if you buy a home and then there's a tower put up, your property value drops. Taxes won't drop. Property values go away. It's a fact," he said.

"I'm concerned for the safety of the children and the safety of everyone else that lives here," said Gabby O'Hara.

Some worried that it could get clipped by a plane and fall into their bedrooms. Others worried that the tower could cause long-term health hazards.

Mayor Jay Gillian told the audience the city could not promise a different outcome but said officials would try to revisit the matter with residents. Council President Pete Madden said council members were open to reviewing options again and working with a neighborhood point person, but he said the city had reached the current position after earlier denials led to federal litigation.