By Greg Forester, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY — The Montgomery Township Committee voted last week to include additional language in an updated cell phone tower ordinance, after hearing community concerns about the measure during the revised ordinance’s adoption in March.
The additional language means that following the construction of a cell-phone antenna-bearing tower, no modification will be allowed to that structure.
That includes extending its height, and other potential modifications, according to township planning consultant Richard Coppola. Language was also added to parts of the ordinance emphasizing a township goal in “minimizing impacts on residences,” he said.
”We want as few towers as possible, and for companies to use existing structures whenever possible,” Mr. Coppola said.
Companies proposing to build antennas or towers onto other structures will now be required to provide documentation proving the structural integrity of the existing structure.
Builders of new towers would have to demonstrate why an existing structure could not be used instead, Mr. Coppola said. Portions of the ordinance adopted earlier included a hierarchy of such structures, catalogued by township officials and listed for communications companies.
”The township’s intent is to have an ordinance in place so wireless companies will consider existing structures,” said Mayor Cecilia Birge.
Limitations on height remain at 125 feet for cell towers, although Planning Board officials were given the ability to allow for a maximum 10-foot extension onto a structure.
The 10-foot extension would have to approved during the initial planning process for any cell tower, according to township officials, who said an astute resident made the observation about cell tower rules at a public meeting.
”When we discussed it the residents raised a lot of good questions,” said Mayor Birge.
The law will likely have to be updated in the coming years, due to progress in cellular technology. The original law was adopted in 1997, according to Mr. Coppola.
Work on updating the ordinance actually began around two years ago, when township officials began the push to update the language to meet modern technology.
