Tag: cell tower

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Mobil Cell Tower Update : Village Revenue Share

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file photo Boyd Loving

Mobil Cell Tower Update : Village Revenue Share

CELL TOWER UPDATE: A review of Village Council meeting minutes dating back to 2008 may provide the answer as to why the mobile AT&T tower was brought in.

What the meeting minutes reveal is that for years, several cell phone carriers have attempted to construct a new monopole style tower on property owned by the State of NJ on Franklin Turnpike. However, indications are that Village officials objected to this location because of the State’s unwillingness to share site rental revenue with the Village. Instead, several Village owned properties in the Route 17 corridor were offered as alternatives to the State of NJ owned property. Unfortunately for the Village, there were insurmountable technical issues with each of the alternative sites.

The State’s policy has been to reject construction of cell towers on their properties when objections are made by local government officials, So, due to the objection voiced by Ridgewood officials, a new cell tower can’t be built at the NJDOT facility on Franklin Turnpike (which seems to be the only location that offers the requisite ground space, and meets all technical parameters). Thus, the current holding pattern – and unusual risk taken by AT&T to keep their system functioning (the existing AT&T shared use tower in the construction company’s yard is unable to support equipment required for 4G service).

It is believed that construction of a new tower on State owned property would result in removal of the existing tower at the construction company yard. The Village would get property tax revenue despite the tower being built on State owned property (most likely more tax revenue – the new structure would be larger).

However, the Village would not get any of the site rental revenue, and that’s what this seems to all boil down to; we want our cake, and we want to eat it to. Why do Village officials feel the State of NJ should share site rental revenue with them? Would they expect the same of any property owner? Then why the State?

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New cell tower pops up in Ridgewood without approval

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file photo Boyd Loving

New cell tower pops up in Ridgewood without approval
Thursday January 23, 2014, 3:36 PM
BY  LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News

Two summonses have been issued in relation to an AT&T cell phone tower that popped up on Franklin Turnpike several months ago without the approval of Ridgewood’s zoning board.

Not only was the roughly 100-foot tower placed there without approval, but no one on the zoning board, the approval entity for cell towers, was aware of it until last week.

On Thursday, an AT&T representative told The Ridgewood News that the company is aiming to find a permanent location for the tower.

The tower in question is temporary, standing on a trailer at the Exxon Mobil gas station on Route 17, behind a building located at 609 Franklin Turnpike.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/241702631_New_cell_tower_pops_up_in_Ridgewood_without_approval.html#sthash.z0GBgayM.dpuf

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Albin Court resident questions legality of “Cell Site on Wheels” equipment was there for months. No official saw it?

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photos by Boyd Loving

Albin Court resident questions legality of “Cell Site on Wheels” equipment was there for months. No official saw it?

Readers say Village officials were unable to determine what company owns the equipment, but PJ’s guy found out in 5 minutes? Come on now. What’s being covered up?

They had been asked prior to the meeting. Maybe as long as 2 weeks prior to the meeting. And the equipment was there for months. No official saw it? Come on now. Let’s get real.

Village officials said that at that moment when they were asked while in a meeting they didn’t know the answer.

The mayor did know prior to the meeting and obviously it was a low priority and he did not bother pursuing it. Then he got short tempered with her and tried to shut her down. Yep, our mayor,hates the gadflies, cannot stand it when anyone says anything that he does not like.

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Albin Court resident questions legality of “Cell Site on Wheels” at Exxon on the Run

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photos by Boyd Loving

Albin Court resident questions legality of “Cell Site on Wheels” at Exxon on the Run
January 16,2014
Boyd A. Loving
5:43 PM

Ridgewood NJ, During Wednesday night’s Village Council meeting, a resident of Albin Court questioned the legality of a “cell site on wheels,” reportedly installed without permits at the Route 17 southbound Exxon on the Run.  The resident claims that the installation has been there since at least November; another member of the audience claims to have seen it there since sometime last summer.

Council members disavowed any knowledge of circumstances surrounding the cell site installation claiming they had no idea who owned the equipment, nor if any permits were granted in connection with its operation.

Acting Village Manager Heather Mailander was directed to investigate the matter and respond directly to the resident with answers.

Publicly available documents indicate that within the last few years, at least two (2) cell phone companies have sought to construct a new tower(s) near the intersection of Franklin Turnpike and Route 17.  125 foot monopole style towers were proposed for the NJDOT Park & Ride/salt shed property, the Ridgewood Water Department property near Twinney Pond, the Valleau Cemetery, and 611 Franklin Turnpike (existing cell tower would be torn down and replaced with a new one).

An individual who represented himself as the owner/operator of Exxon on the Run advised a staff member of the Ridgewood Blog that the equipment on his property is owned by AT&T Wireless, and that AT&T is using the “cell site on wheels” because of antenna wind loading issues with their existing tower at 611 Franklin Turnpike.  The individual also claimed that AT&T had tried to negotiate for space at the NJDOT Park & Ride, but was unable to do so.

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photos by Boyd Loving

 
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