the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Mahwah NJ, after nearly two decades of anticipation, the long-awaited permanent cell tower at Fire Company 3 off Rozanski Lane in Mahwah is finally set to be fully operational. By July 4, three major phone carriers will be activated on the new tower.
Carrier Activation
AT&T was the first to go live a month ago, followed by Verizon a few days ago, according to Phil Amato, spokesman for Advanced Technical Management Solutions, the contractor responsible for building the tower and installing the equipment. T-Mobile is expected to be activated by July 4.
“There may be room on the tower for one or two more carriers, but some third-party services are piggybacking on these, so we will have to see if more are added,” said Amato.
Residents using these services who do not see any improvement in coverage should notify Mahwah borough officials, as they hold the lease agreement for the tower.
Improved Communication
The new installation is expected to significantly enhance communication for an estimated 5,200 residents in a 2-mile-wide dead zone on the township’s northern border. This improvement is particularly crucial for police and emergency responders.
“The Township is very pleased to have this project finally come to a conclusion,” said Business Administrator Ben Kezmarsky. “There have been many hurdles we’ve overcome over the past three years, but we continued forward to ensure the dead zone in the Masonicus area of town was addressed once and for all.”
Council President Robert Ferguson echoed this sentiment, stating, “This was a long time coming. I am very happy we have been able to work as a team with all three carriers to provide a solution to residents and earn a nice bit of revenue for the township. So much of the credit for getting this done belongs to Mayor James Wysocki, Mr. Kezmarsky, engineer Mike Kelly, and our great legal team for pushing this over the finish line.”
A Long Road to Completion
The journey to establish a cell tower in this location began in 2005 when Cingular proposed Fire Company 3 as the best site. Despite cell towers being declared “inherently beneficial,” local homeowners successfully lobbied against the installation for years, citing concerns over health and property values.
Over time, the need for improved cell service became a dominant issue at council meetings. Proposals by Homeland Towers in 2013 and AT&T in 2015 and 2018 finally led to the approval of the tower’s installation in September 2019.
However, challenges continued. Consultant Wireless Edge was declared in default in June 2020 for failing to secure carriers. A new consultant, Declan O’Scanlan, secured leases by November 2020, but a series of lawsuits from neighbors over proximity to wetlands, site access, and power easements delayed progress.
A temporary 150-foot tower was activated on the site in May 2021 to mixed reviews. Residents hoped the 183-foot permanent tower would provide more consistent coverage. Installation of the permanent pole began in March 2023, and officials announced it would power up “soon” in March.
Looking Forward
As Mahwah residents eagerly await the full activation of the new cell tower, the community looks forward to better connectivity and communication. This long-term project, marked by numerous hurdles and setbacks, is finally nearing a successful conclusion.
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