Lincroft cell tower denied by board

MIDDLETOWN — The Zoning Board denied an application to locate a cell tower behind the Lincroft Fire Department May 11, ruling the structure would not be inherently beneficial.

By a 6-1 vote, the 100-foot monopole proposed for the back of the firehouse on Newman Springs Road was denied after four meetings involving the proposal.

Zoning Board member Chantal Bouw said that she voted to deny the application because she felt the 100-foot structure was out of character with the Lincroft section where it would be the largest structure.

She also felt that a planned cell tower at exit 109 on the Garden State Parkway and one proposed for the Avaya property in Middletown, would provide adequate service.

"How much better will service be with this cell tower?" Bouw asked. "We heard that if the tower is not built, you would experience a dropped call. We all experience dropped calls."

The applicant, Omnipoint Communications Inc., representing T-Mobile, was seeking minor site plan approval to construct a 100-foot monopole for telecommunications including antennas and ground-based equipment to be placed at the back of the firehouse.

Omnipoint was represented by attorney Frank Ferraro.

The application sought variances for a use "d" variance since the cell tower does not meet the conditions of a conditional use in the RO zone and therefore is not permitted in the zone. Also, for maximum height with 100 feet proposed where 35 feet is the maximum permitted; and rear yard setback with 19 feet proposed where 35 feet is required.

The Lincroft Fire Department signed a contract for a 100-foot cell phone tower (flagpole design) on the parking lot of its property at the corner of Route 520 and Rose Street.

The Fire Department held an informational meeting on Aug. 19 and public hearings by the Zoning Board were held on Dec. 8, Feb. 23, April 21 and May 11.

The final night of the public hearings on May 11 had a strong turnout with residents and firefighters in attendance to speak and hear the board's decision.

Lincroft resident Nancy Ruzich said during the public hearing that a common argument by cell phone companies is that the towers are inherently beneficial to residents as they provide a needed service, but that is not necessarily the case with every cell tower.

However, she said when a cell phone company is not bringing something new and improved that will change communications technology, it is not considered inherently beneficial.

"Any Verizon or AT&T customer will get up here and state that they have good service as well as T-Mobile customers will come up here and say that their service is good too," Ruzich said. "Because a couple of people may drop a call at Acme or inside a building, you know what, do what we all do when we drop a call, move an inch or two to the left. It's not an inherently beneficial use for a cell tower for people in Acme to make a call."

Zoning Board Chairman James Hinckley explained to the residents in attendance that inherently beneficial is legally defined as facilities like schools, churches, hospitals and daycare centers.

"There are some things that are inherently beneficial when they meet criteria that there is a need," Hinckley said. "A cell tower becomes inherently beneficial when there is a serious, serious gap in service where people are not able to communicate."

Zoning Board member Emil Wrede said that there have been circumstances such as in Fair Haven where the town absolutely needed a cell tower to improve coverage and that was inherently beneficial to the residents in that town. However, he said there already is sufficient coverage in Lincroft and cell towers as well as others being built that T-Mobile could consider using.

Zoning Board member Gary Hagestad said that Lincroft is a very tightly knit area and that the size of the proposed cell tower would impinge on the community.

Resident Joan Koontz could not believe the size of the tower and had to compare it to other structures to figure out how big it actually would be.

"I looked up online how tall the Christmas tree is at Rockefeller Center and it averaged 75-90-feet tall," Koontz said. "So generally speaking, this will be taller."

Mark Sanpietro, vice president of the Lincroft Fire Company, said the tower would be inherently beneficial to the township because the tower would help the department in case of a power failure in the generators.

Sanpietro previously wrote a letter to local residents explaining that another reason for the cell tower would be to raise funds for the department.

"Based upon the funds allotted by Middletown Township, we operate with a deficit of approximately $70,000," he wrote in the letter. "Our annual fund drive and other fundraising efforts are run to alleviate this deficit."

Wrede said after the meeting that though the fire department will not be receiving the money for the tower, it is important that residents help keep the department funded.

"Next time you get that envelope from the fire department, please put something in there and give them a hand," Wrede said. "They need it and they deserve it."

Hinckley agreed with Wrede's sentiment.

"It really is a shame that fire departments have to go out and ask for money," Hinckley said. No decision on whether an appeal would be made was given at press time.