Wireless facility siting discussed in Millstone

BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer

MILLSTONE- The township is trying to regulate how it gets out of the dead zone.

As wireless facilities continue to go up around the area, the Township Committee has proposed an ordinance to amend and supplement its land use regulations to set standards, conditions and location limitations for such facilities.

Millstone Road resident Dan Gravatt said he had very poor cell phone service at his home up until a fewmonths ago.He said the service is excellent now.

MayorNancy Grbelja said that she uses Sprint for cell phone service and could get reception at the municipal building that night.

"Somewhere along the line, antennas are going up," she said. "This was a dead zone."

Deputy Mayor Robert Kinsey agreed with Grbelja and said he could also get Verizon service at town hall that evening.

The ordinance lists firstpriority locations for wireless antennas as the Stavola Asphalt Plant on Route 33, the Aqua Soft Water Co. on Route 33 and the Silvi Concrete Plant on Iron Ore Road (Route 527A).

The next three priority locations for the antennas are on the monopole tower west of the cul-de-sac on Sommers Court, in the steeple at theUnited Presbyterian Church onMillstone Road and on the lattice tower at themunicipal garage area onMillstone Road.

The ordinance gives other locations including the lattice tower behind the Millstone elementary school, the steeple of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, along Route 33 east of Prodelin Way at Joule Yacht Transport, the light poles at the Millstone Roosevelt Little League Complex on Perrineville Road, the silo on Battleground Road near the intersection of Perrineville Road, the lattice tower on theMillstone Fire Department on Stagecoach Road and the tower along Burnt Tavern Road near the Squan Road intersection. The ordinance would also allow antennas to go up on north/south and east/west power lines running throughout the township.

Gravatt said his house is located within 100 feet of a tower that he does not want an antenna on. He said the ordinance does not mention the tower near his home.

Gravatt also commented that he happened to be home one day when communications company representatives were surveying in the area of the tower. He said he had not been notified.

Grbelja said Gravatt’s wife called the township and had the work at the tower stopped because the company had not notified the Gravatts.

"After I spoke to your wife, I realized they were not in compliance," Grbelja said, adding that proper notification must be given.