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HOWLAND -- Township residents spoke out at Thursday's zoning appeals meeting against a plan proposed by Verizon to place a 200-foot cell tower near Howland Springs Elementary School.
Michael Sarris of RJP Consulting and Joe Cortese, an attorney representing Verizon, approached the Board of Zoning Appeals with exhibits and information claiming the selected location for the cell tower was the most efficient in the area.
Cortese explained that wireless device usage has grown exponentially over the past decade, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, and such growth affected Verizon's efforts to develop connectivity in otherwise disconnected areas.
"The point of all of this is the connectivity," Cortese said. "The reliability is critical. And this particular site is clearly needed, given the fact that you have very poor coverage in that vicinity. You have a very difficult time accessing the network when around the school area."
Verizon is licensed through the FCC, according to Cortese.
He added, "Sites are built for two reasons. You have gaps in coverage, which we would submit, this is one of them. Additionally, it's a capacity issue. The network has to continue to reuse the signal, and for that to operate when you have multiple users, you're not just planning for today. You're planning for five years out, 10 years out."
Residents in the area were not as concerned about the connectivity as Sarris and Cortese, but more fearful of health issues and the sight of a significantly large metal pole in their backyards. Bruce Gump, of 1441 Springwood Trace, gave testimony because the tower would be built behind his home. He provided the board with documents of research and information about potential effects on property values, aesthetics and health concerns.
"I understand that the FCC has regulations that prevent you from considering any health concerns, in spite of the fact that those concerns are real," Gump said. "The regulations that currently exist were originally written and submitted in 1996, long before much of this technology even was thought about, let alone existed."
Gump suggested that the FCC's regulations are woefully inadequate for today's technology, especially due to his research as a computer science professional. He further mentioned that the frequency rates used in 5G technologies are in the same ballpark as some of the microwaves and military equipment he has worked on throughout his career.
"I would not recommend holding a microwave oven up against your head when you're trying to talk to somebody," Gump said.
"There are, in fact, potentially serious adverse health affects living near, or working near, a cellphone tower. I realize you're not allowed to consider that or adjudicate that. But it is something that has a moral imperative associated with it. People can be harmed by this. What we know, and what the studies show, is that if you're close enough, under enough power, for long enough, there is definitely serious damage. All you would have to do is look inside of your microwave oven to know that. So the question is, how much power over how much time?"
Another resident complained that he and his new wife are expecting a child, but they are afraid of the possibilities of over-exposure to the tower's radiation, as well as displeased with the thought of their child growing up "underneath" it. Two other residents also said they feared for kids' experiences near the tower, and mentioned two play areas at the elementary school that may be affected.
Cortese and Sarris, however, said their plans include the monopole's placement will be almost 600 feet from Howland Springs Road, approximately 400 feet from the school, and the lease area for Verizon will be about 10,000 square feet.
And as for the chosen location, "We reached out to some of the landowners," Sarris said. "And we got a response from the school board, then went out and met with some of their folks, and looked at their parcel, then we decided that there was a little area about 600 feet off Howland Springs Road with trees all around and an access road just tucked into the trees. So, we felt that, of their property, this would be the best location."
Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to include accurate information about the size of the property and arguments put forth by residents.