Verizon has submitted an application to build a 128-foot-tall cell tower at 169 Robertsville Road, Freehold Township, on a designated scenic road. The area is part of the Lake Topanemus watershed which has been identified for low intensity development.
A hearing on the application will be held at the municipal building at 7 p.m. June 15.
Verizon’s application was accompanied with pictures of the balloon test which are supposed to show the true impact of the cell tower, but their pictures are enhanced and strategically taken to show the least impact.
For instance, rather than taking pictures from the homes on Sherwood Drive most impacted, they took a picture from a home which is at the farthest angle from the proposed cell tower site.
Verizon has the best photographers who minimized the impact shown in the pictures, but the cell tower will be seen for miles and towers over the trees in the area by more than 75 feet. They claim the tower will be invisible once they put fake greenery on it. Really?
The photo from Robertsville Road surely does not represent what the neighbor next door to the proposed cell tower property would see when she sits with her family on her porch. She worked so hard for her 7-acre property and now Verizon wants to build a cell tower 19.3 feet from her property. Not only is the tower an eyesore, but it will make it impossible for her to ever sell her home.
The proposed cell tower property used to be concealed with trees and brush on the perimeter, but they recently cleared much of it on the perimeter that borders the neighbor’s property, possibly so they can put in a road for trucks to drive alongside her property to maintain the cell tower.
The tower will cause loss of property value, loss of the intent of the Monmouth County plan and the Freehold Township plan to maintain the “bucolic landscape” of this area via the designation of the scenic corridor and watershed zoning; not to mention the loss of the beautiful view of the trees against the sunrise or sunset and the disruption to the wildlife, the risk to our watershed, wetlands and stream encroachment.
We are hoping Verizon reconsiders and does the right thing. This is not the right location and if Verizon executive management knew what was going on, I am sure they would pull this application.
Maria Saputo
Freehold Township