Town leases property to Verizon for tower
Wireless carrier will pay Monroe $24,000 per year
BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

MONROE - Township residents may no longer find themselves asking in frustration, "Can you hear me now?"

A cell tower is expected be built on township-owned property on Gravel Hill-Spotswood Road, filling a need for better coverage in that area while bringing revenue into the township's coffers, according to Wayne Hamilton, township business administrator.

"It's clearly in the public's best interest, and at the same time, it brings a revenue stream to the town," he said.

At its Sept. 6 meeting, the Township Council awarded a bid to Verizon Wireless to erect the tower. The township had solicited bids for the tower in July, and Verizon was the lone bidder.

Complaints from residents regarding dropped calls and "dead spots" in wireless coverage were a factor in the township's decision to bring in a new cell tower. The carriers themselves have also identified the area as one in need of further coverage, Hamilton said.

Construction is expected to get started within six to nine months.

No Zoning or Planning Board approval is needed for the tower because it will be located on municipal property. The township is awaiting approvals from both the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration, however.

Verizon will fund all expenses associated with the tower, and will pay the township $24,012 per year during its five-year lease. The lease is renewable for four terms, with automatic renewal upon the agreement of the township and Verizon.

The tower will also be able to accommodate up to five other carriers, who would also lease the space from the township.

The site, which is where Monroe's public works building is located, was chosen for the tower partly because of its topography. The property sits lower than most land throughout the town, Hamilton said.

He said he is unsure whether the tower, which is permitted to be as high as 220 feet tall, will be visible to residents in the surrounding areas.

While the tower will not be disguised for cosmetic purposes as some other towers are, it will be situated several hundred feet from any residences.

Councilman John Riggs noted that the tower will be located at the rear of the 30-acre land parcel, as far as possible from nearby housing.

"This is good because it is an isolated site. I think it's advantageous from that standpoint," Riggs said. "We're very careful about those things in Monroe."

The location is permitted under an ordinance adopted by the Township Council in 2003 that specified where cell towers are permitted. Previously, all carriers had to apply for a use variance from the Zoning Board of Adjustment, because towers were not specifically permitted anywhere in the township.