For the second time, Verizon failed to convince the Freehold Township Planning Board that they need to build a cell tower in the western part of the township. This saga has played out over nearly three years and over nine Planning Board hearings. We hope Verizon “can hear us now,” as they used to say in their ads.
Undoubtedly, they will appeal this ruling as they did the first, but the facts remain: of the 177 homes in the area that Verizon claims is underserved, only 14 are in Freehold Township.
I applaud the board members for their decision and ask Verizon to please accept the ruling and realize that another tower is not needed in Freehold Township. This tower was to help provide 4G service to the area while other places are getting ready to test 5G technology.
We know that a new tower of this kind would be obsolete before it even gets built. What we don’t know is the impact it would have on the protected wildlife preserve it would sit next to or on the long-term health of the residents in the area.
I would like to thank the residents who participated in the process by showing up at meeting after meeting, and the News Transcript for its coverage of those hearings. With everyone’s help, I feel the right decision was made.
Mike Cavanaugh
Freehold Township