By Andrew Martins, Managing Editor
For the second consecutive meeting, a Verizon Wireless consultant testified before the zoning board that a proposed cell tower at the Woods Road firehouse would have no impact on the property values of neighboring homes.
Mark Tinder, a real estate appraiser retained by Verizon Wireless, provided additional testimony and answered questions from the public during a special meeting of the board on Wednesday, Oct. 26.
Throughout the roughly two and a half hour long meeting, Mr. Tinder doubled down on the contention that he provided during the Oct. 5 meeting that the tower should not negatively impact tax assessments.
“The point to be explored is whether or not structures of this type have an impact on value generally throughout New Jersey and if so, can it be quantified,” Mr. Tinder. “The several studies that I provided (to the board) show no apparent impact whatsoever and indicates to me that the residential marketplace in New Jersey is not reacting in any measure to these installations.”
Verizon wants to build the proposed tower on the property of the Woods Road firehouse to improve service, especially with 4G phones that people increasingly use to reach high-demand internet service, to the 2,200-home area.
The telecommunications company would then pay the fire company an undetermined amount per year for the right to operate behind the firehouse, beyond the outfield of a baseball field.
The proposal needs zoning variances, primarily to place a cell tower and house equipment in a residential zone, close to homes. The ordinance says a tower must be 1,000 feet from a residence.
Verizon is also asking the Board of Adjustment for a variance to come within 2,000 feet of the Woods Road Elementary School (the proposed tower is 940 feet away), and to exceed the allowable maximum 35-foot height for a structure in the zone. The proposed tower is planned to stand 126 feet tall, including the lightning rod.
The proposal not only calls for the construction of a 120-foot cell tower, but also the corresponding facility will be powered in an emergency by a natural gas generator.
Given the proposed tower’s proximity to nearby school grounds, residential areas and ball fields, Mr. Tinder also addressed the safety concerns that have cropped up from the proposed project.
“Throughout New Jersey, there are monopoles on ball fields and school properties,” he said. “Toms River has two high schools and both of them have monopoles directly behind both football fields.”
He also pointed to a monopole installation on the Indian Hills High School and Ramapo High School in Bergen County as another example of a cell tower monopole existing on school grounds.
“Institutional uses or public purpose uses are apparently not incompatible, because again, they exist,” Mr. Tinder said.
During his testimony, the appraiser also referenced a case in Warren Township that happened in 1996 where a tax assessor provided a temporary reduction in assessments for properties that were in close proximity to a 400-foot television tower.
Mr. Tinder said that reduction was the result of a settlement in a tax appeal case before that municipality at the time. The reduction was from 7 percent to 20 percent at the time, but that only lasted for two years, after which the assessments of the 14 affected lots went back up.
“It’s not exactly analogous and it’s not a monopole, but nevertheless I do regret that I didn’t recall that at the (last meeting),” Mr. Tinder said. “I wanted to correct the record in case the greater issue was in regard to towers and tax assessments.”
Members of the public asked Mr. Tinder multiple questions throughout the night, with a majority of them focusing on his testimony that there are existing monopoles with similar circumstances throughout the state.
Given the numerous hours dedicated by the board to this application, Board of Adjustment Vice Chairwoman Helen Haines said she and her colleagues wanted to make sure they had all the facts before coming to a decision.
“We want to service the areas that don’t have the usage in the best possible place and also look at what the impact is going to be for residents,” she said. “It’s not all about resale — there’s other components (to our decision).”
Officials said the next hearing on the proposed cell tower would take place on at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7.
