Residents in Mt. Laurel’s Saratoga Farms development are literally telling cell phone carrier AT&T, “Not in my backyard.”
A group of about 20 residents from Saratoga Farms gathered at the Mt. Laurel zoning board of adjustment meeting last night to voice their opposition against a proposed 140-foot tall silo containing a cell phone tower. AT&T has proposed to construct the tower on a farm behind Pimlico Way, within 100 feet of some homes.
The zoning board did not hear AT&T’s application at last night’s meeting. The company requested to move its hearing until the board’s Oct. 1 meeting.
Saratoga Farm residents Louis Rider and Brian Thompson have united the group of resident in opposition to the silo. The pair own the two homes closest to the proposed site and have led the charge against construction. They have been rallying residents since they first learned about the plan in the spring.
The proposed silo is 140-feet tall. Renditions of the tower have it as gray with a domed, white top. The silo would be located in a fenced-in compound that would include a generator.
According to the application, AT&T says there is not adequate cellular coverage in the area surrounding the proposed silo.
“Without the proposed site, AT&T is unable to provide coverage in the area, which it is mandated to do pursuant to its FCC license,” the applications reads.
In a statement, AT&T spokesman Daniel Langen said the proposed tower location is critical for AT&T to continue providing adequate service to its customers.
“Cell sites are critical 21st century infrastructure,” Langen wrote. “Consumers in Medford, Mt. Laurel and across New Jersey are demanding more reliable and faster mobile phone and mobile broadband coverage, which is important for public safety, education, telecommuters, and virtually every sector the local economy. This proposed site is designed to meet their needs.”
However, Rider disputes whether AT&T needs additional coverage. Citing an AT&T domestic wireless voice coverage map available on its website, the entire surrounding area, including Hainesport and Lumberton, includes coverage rated either “good” or “best.”
“There is no place with a lack of coverage,” Rider said.
Rider has knowledge in the telecommunications area. He has worked in the industry for more than 25 years and serves as the vice president of network service for a global insurance company. In addition, Rider has a general radio telephone operators license from the FCC.
The residents’ complaints have touched on a variety of subjects, including the perception of health risks, property values and aesthetics.
Rider conducted research on residences located near power distribution towers in the area. The homes near these towers can take as many as 600 days to sell and are typically sold for less than market value.
“The tower will have a significantly negative impact on the character of our community and will reduce our property values,” Rider said.
Looking at an artist’s rendition of the silo, Thompson was not pleased with what he saw. The pictures show the silo looming over the homes on Pimlico Way. In other pictures, the silo is clearly visible over the treeline from both Church Road and Hartford Road.
“With this tower looming over our house and our community, the chances of us staying in this house for more than a year or two are slim to none,” Thompson said.
Rather than battle AT&T about putting a tower in the area, Rider has prepared three alternative locations he hopes the company will consider.
“If they absolutely want to have service, let’s give them some options,” Rider said.
One would be to place cell phone antennas along high-tension wires running through the area, just south of Saratoga Farms near Church Road.
“There are four existing PSE&G transmission line towers in the immediate area,” Rider said. “Why would AT&T not use these towers?
A second option would have the project build on Johnson’s Farm in Medford. Rider suggested the silo structure would be more appropriate and the tower would be away from residences.
The third option was to put the tower on open space at the southwest corner of the Church Road and Hartford Road intersection, across from Lenape High School. This land is also located inside Medford Township.
All three of Rider’s options are within a mile of the proposed location behind his home. Rider said AT&T could provide the same service from all three locations.
Rider sent his proposals and information to AT&T’s Network Real Estate Administration team in Atlanta in early July in hopes of creating a line of communication between residents and the company. AT&T has not responded to Rider in any way, he said.
Langen said AT&T is open to working with the local community on this project.
“With every new site, AT&T considers a variety of factors when determining where new sites will be added, and works with local communities to help them better understand the proposal and how the sites will meet residents’ demand for coverage,” Langen wrote. “We look forward to ongoing conversations with local officials about this proposal.”
Rider said many residents got word of the application’s postponement earlier in the day and did not make their way out to the Mt. Laurel Municipal Building. The opposition launched a Facebook group on Aug. 3 named “No Cell Tower in Saratoga Farms.” The page received 53 likes in just the first three days.
Rider said word is continuing to spread in the development. He believes when the hearing actually takes place, there will be enough residents to fill the municipal courtroom.
“The whole neighborhood would come out,” Rider said. “We’d probably get about 50 to 60 people in here.”
