Submitted by a party involved in the lengthy saga.
A four-and-a-half year battle between local residents and a major wireless carrier ended last Friday, with the dismantling of the cell phone tower at 655 Squankum Road.
In the midst of the Covid pandemic, with many people working from home, and children attending remote classes, the bandwidth to support the tremendous increase in traffic was under strain. The LPD in particular needed to insure the ability of police to communicate for the safety of the community. Application was made on April 16, 2020, for the construction of an ‘emergency Covid-19 temporary cell site’ , a 149-foot monopole, to be located at 655 Squankum Road. It was approved by the Secretary of the Zoning Board, in the absence of formal meetings due to the pandemic, and a construction permit was issued on April 21. The cell tower went up quickly, and somewhat alleviated the bandwidth situation.
However the tower was located in the center of a heavily populated area in the northern part of Lakewood, surrounded by the developments of Brook Hill, the Villas, Kew Gardens, Whispering Woods, and Whispering Pines, and various schools and businesses. Residents objected that although Lakewood has a statute disallowing the construction of transmitters in proximity to homes within a specified radius, literally hundreds of families were living within the proscribed distance. A classic case of the cancellation of personal liberties under the aegis of emergency powers was developing.
When it became evident that the ‘temporary’ tower was not going to be coming down anytime soon, petitions and protests were organized. Still, the municipality insisted that the police continued to require the additional bandwidth to conduct their critical functions. The situation was exacerbated when the wireless company applied to the Zoning Board to build a permanent monopole on the same site, replacing the temporary tower. The board meetings to evaluate this request were the site of much respectful but strident opposition by frustrated residents living in proximity to the tower.
Finally, likely acknowledging that the community, while desiring quality wireless service, was dissatisfied with the site selected for the permanent tower, in January, 2023, the carrier withdrew its application. Instead, it was scouting for an appropriate site in nearby Howell. The residents gratefully appreciated the support of the Lakewood municipality in the effort to obtain permission from Howell for the relocation to a lesser populated area in their town. Ultimately an appropriate site was identified just over the Lakewood border, off the Lakewood-Farmingdale Road. Although the new structure would be higher than any previously approved in Howell, it was approved unanimously by the Howell board on September 11, 2023. Construction proceeded through 2024, and they received their CO on December 2, 2024. The interim tower in Lakewood was decommissioned, and deconstructed on December 13.
In the end, residents throughout Lakewood and Howell are now serviced by a new, powerful transmitter, and the aggrieved homeowners resenting the construction of the monopole practically in their backyards were rewarded with relief after nearly five years of tefilla and hishtadlus.
We are a very confusing people. We demand good cell service while also demanding no cell towers in our neighborhoods.
Can’t have it both ways you want good service without towers good luck 👍
Boo hoo
There’s nothing confusing about it – there’a a good reason for regulations regarding proximity of cell towers to homes, schools and hospitals, because of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by them!
It seems like we ain’t seen nuthin’ yet. Everyone should leave for EY asap, while there’s still an airport. Cell towers will be the least of our concerns.
The end of the article was clear, “5 years of Tefilla”.
Through Tefilla, we can sincerely daven and ask Hashem to help us and to guide us how to be Zoche to the final
אחרית הימים
without any more
צרות
in Klal Yisroel.
Stop crying
I mean sure, power output has a safety factor. But I’m also certain that the current and proposed towers are within spec.
Also, “electromagnetic radiation” includes the visible spectrum. The radiation is non-ionizing, it’s not so scary.
When will the new tower in Howell be functional?
Then we wonder and complain why there is horrible cell service in Lakewood
This is very good, now no more mutant babies will be born.
I hope you are just being sarcastic , a statement like that serves no one without facts to back it up !!!
Let me rephrase that, this is terrible, now no more mutant babies will be born, who will we rely on now to fight crime.
Howellite: The new tower is up and running.
Boo hoo, I want to simultaneously stream ten screens of 8k video at once over my cell phone!!!1
Hope satellite prices come down soon.
Not a fan of the cell phone, I’m old live alone and see no need for a phone in my pocket. I see more accidents caused by ignorant people on phones or texting. Hopefully someday cars will negate the phone when moving.