By sandi carpello
Staff Writer
FAIR HAVEN — When shopping for a cell tower, the right look and the right amount of revenue matter, according to the Borough Council.
The council met Monday night with representatives from Optinet — a shared multi-wireless service provider developed by Crown Castle International.
The company’s sales pitch: an anesthetically unobtrusive coverage solution.
Using existing utility poles or new poles consistent with the borough’s infrastructure, the Optinet cell tower does not cause an eyesore, said Crown Castle International President Brian Jacks.
"It looks like an extension of a [telephone] pole," Jacks said. "An electric box will be placed about 10 feet up on the pole."
With a gaping hole in the borough’s cellular coverage, the 2-inch-wide and roughly seven-and-a-half-foot-tall pole would provide adequate cellular coverage up to 10 miles away, while accommodating eight cellular customers at once, Jacks said.
Also, "the low-power antennas give off less radiation. It’s a low-power solution," he said.
However, when it comes to increasing revenue for the borough, council members wondered if a more aesthetically pleasing antenna was a price to pay.
"There’s no question that there is a hole. The question is how to fill it," said Councilman Garrett Bess. "We want to fill it with something that generates money for the town," he said.
Councilman Thomas Gilmour, who said that Rumson’s cell tower generated roughly $80,000 in revenue for the town, asked if the amount generated through Optinet was comparable.
Jacks said the borough would have the ability to gain some revenue through Optinet.
Yet, how much money it would generate was "difficult to estimate" till all the specifics were in place.
Optinet has provided cellular coverage to municipalities in Pennsylvania, the United Kingdom and Australia. If Fair Haven buys in, they would be the first in New Jersey.
Mayor Joseph Szostak said the meeting with Optinet was for informational purposes only. No formal zoning application has been filed.