Cell Companies Say Alternative Tower Location is Viable

Township Attorney Kenneth Poller, who has been in discussions with Verizon about the proposed cell tower on municipal property, announced Monday that the communications company, as well as the other cell carriers involved, have found the alternative location for the tower near the viable.

The governing body had asked the cell companies to investigate the alternative location after hearing complaints from residents about the site next to police headquarters at the . Verizon has already been awarded a bid for a 120-foot cell tower at that location.

Poller said changing the tower location would cause legal issues because a site change would require the township to go out to bid again. Since Verizon has already been awarded a bid at the municipal complex, Poller said, "They are amenable to building it on either site provided, of course, that they got the bid."

Since the township cannot swap out the location in the existing bid, Poller said, "If you decided that you wanted to not go with this location here and wanted to go there, I'd have to meet with Verizon's attorneys."

Poller said the tower would have the same specs, including height, at the alternate location and just soil testing would need to be completed.

Residents who live near the alternative location continue to speak out against the site. Mitchell Rosenthal said he believed trees would have to be taken down for the tower near the Dog House Saloon. He also said residents in the area, including himself, would have their homes reassessed to reduce real estate taxes. He told members of the governing body that if each home has its taxes reduced, it could negate the revenue realized from the cell tower.

"That's a horrible location. It's smack in the middle of hundreds of people and their homes," Rosenthal said. "You guys have to find a better area. ... Not only for the prettiness of area, but for the health concerns, which we don't know the impact of at this point."

Hoover Avenue resident Gary Pinke said the governing body should consider putting the tower in the back part of . There, he said it would not be visible from Pascack or Ridgewood roads and while the revenue would go to the school board, it would still save township residents money and not impact homes as much.

Councilman Joseph D'Urso explained that experts have said a tower is needed along Pascack Road from to to fill the coverage gap and the area by the high school is covered by a tower in Paramus.

D'Urso said that while he doesn't like the idea of putting a cell tower in the township, it's inevitable. There is still a pending application before the Zoning Board for a cell tower at the and D'Urso said if the project on municipal property falls through, the township will likely end up in superior court.

"We can fight it, we can stall, but we're going to lose in the long run. And it's going to go up. Let's put it up the right way," D'Urso said. "No matter where the tower goes up, I'm sure someone's not going to be happy."

The next council meeting is scheduled for July 11.