Residents Voice Strong Opposition to Verizon 5G Towers Amid Health, Property Value Concerns and Government Overreach
By Jim Lonergan
Published September 25, 2024 at 5:38 PM
SPRING LAKE, NJ – Local municipalities along the Jersey Coast are grappling with a surge of federal and state mandates and initiatives, from offshore wind energy to 5G cell towers and flood zone expansions. At a public meeting last night, attended by around 150 residents, the Spring Lake governing body discussed Verizon’s push to install 5G towers along Ocean Ave, close to the boardwalk and beaches. This article, which is formatted as a summation of last night's meeting to help residents get up to speed, will kick off a TAPinto series examining the impact of 5G, federal and state involvement, carrier wants versus needs, and trying to identify and project a short- and long-term view of what this means to Spring Lake and all the towns along the Jersey Coast should it move forward.
The Spring Lake public meeting made one thing clear: none of the 150+ residents in attendance supported Verizon’s 5G tower plans, as shown by a unanimous no-show of hands. The meeting, led by the Mayor and Council, also featured legal experts like Ken Fellman and Ben Clark, Monmouth County Commissioner Tom Arnone, and Congressional representative Jo Schloeder of Rep. Chris Smiths office. Additionally, attorney Scott McCollough, hired by the grassroots group SpringLakeAgainst5GTowers.com, founded by Kelley Badishkanian, was present to help fight the proposed cell towers in Spring Lake.
What's the status of Verizon 5G cell towers? Spring Lake is not the only shore town being challenged by Verizon’s push to install 5G towers along Ocean Ave. Verizon has been active in other neighboring towns, most recently in Belmar, where they began the push in 2018 and eventually sued the town and won to uphold what they believe is their rights granted to telecom providers via the Federal Government Telecom Act of 1996. According to Mayor Naughton, “Verizon is seeking a waiver from Spring Lake, which was submitted to the Borough back in January, to approve or deny their application for the instillation of six 5G cellular poles, approximately 40’ in height. Their proposal is not permitted under our current town ordinance. Spring Lake shares jurisdiction with Monmouth County and Verizon is requesting these permanent poles for 4 summer weekends a year. The FCC, rather than building this trust, has engaged in significant government overreach. As a governing body, we have postponed what’s known as the “shot clock” multiple times and we are committed to respond in kind by October 15th.”
The dual jurisdiction of Ocean Avenue by the Town and County causes some confusion as to who’s application has stranding. At this time Spring Lake has been guided by its attorneys to respond to Verizon’s application while Monmouth County Commissioner Arnone highlighted “we have already rejected Verizon’s application as being incomplete and we are awaiting a response on the re-application.”
Experts at the meeting echoed concerns over government overreach, referencing the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Chevron doctrine, which could reshape the balance of power between federal agencies and the judiciary. The Chevron doctrine, established in 1984, allows agencies to interpret ambiguous laws as long as their interpretations are deemed reasonable. However, the ruling could lead to more judicial intervention. Attorneys cautioned that while the decision challenges agency authority, it doesn't grant blanket rights to overturn all interpretations.
Why place Cell towers on Ocean Ave? The question came up from the audience multiple times about Verizon having the need to place 5G cell towers on Ocean Ave vs other placements around town, and Attorney Fellman responded “it is my understanding that they looked at other areas and they can’t get the coverage they need unless they are on Ocean Ave. That said, the Borough is looking into that with their own expert”
What can be done at the Federal level to stop, slow down, or adjust current regulations? Attending the meeting was Deputy Chief of Staff Jo Schloeder of Congressman Chris smith’s office as Rep Smith was in Washington DC for voting matters. Rep. Smith had already introduced a bill – H.R. 8082 (see attached) – and a letter sent to Congress in July 2024 seeking to get a Bill to the floor for a vote. According to Rep. Smiths office "that Bill – “Securing Local Communities Input in Broadband Development Act” seeks to preserve the rights of state and local governments. As stated throughout, the core law that provides protection to communications companies is the 28-year-old Telecom Act of 1996 – section 704 – which limits authority at the State and Local level over wireless infrastructure. That remains the core issue today.
If Spring Lake approved, allowed, or Verizon is allowed to place cell towers along Ocean Ave, are we not setting precedent that would allow all the other wireless providers to do the same? That was commented on and confirmed by the mayor, the attorney’s and residents with resident Robert Mc Allan noting “if you let Verizon in under the tent, then T-Mobile and all the others, including EchoStar who is talking about building out a fourth system for cellular telephone will undoubtedly follow. If you don’t stop it now, I fear for what will happen to this town and a lot of towns like it.”
What are the real reasons Verizon is doing this? What is the end-game? According to Mc Allan “the long term goal is they want to be able to do wireless high-speed internet throughout the country. To do that, they don’t have enough bandwidth right now. So, they are looking at going into what’s called millimeter, which brings you up to the 21-24 gigahertz (GHz) range. The problem is when you get up that high in frequency, it doesn’t do much for building penetration, which means they will need even more towers and units to put these facilities on, particularly as they intend to serve customers at these very high speeds. So, as they speak about these 6 towers, as they need more capacity to do what their long-term plan is, you can be sure there will be more down the road.” This will be explored further in a later article in the 5G series we are kicking off.
What are the some of the risks to residents outlined at the meeting:
Concerns about health risks from RF waves emitted by cell towers were raised, with McCollough encouraging residents to document their worries. While studies on RF exposure show conflicting results, nearby towns like Sea Girt and Manasquan have struggled to get clear answers from the NJ Board of Public Utilities on the health impacts of electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs). The size and scale of projects like offshore wind transmission and 5G towers may increase these risks, which will be explored further in the series.
Councilwoman and realtor Kathleen McDonough reviewed the current assessed value of the 241 properties along Ocean Avenue, where the 5G poles would be installed, totaling over $500 million. She warned that, based on market values, the potential drop in property values could be significant if the towers are installed, as it may deter buyers and cause current residents to leave. Attorney McCollough added that studies exist analyzing the impact of cell towers on home values, suggesting further investigation is warranted.
At the Spring Lake meeting, over 150 residents opposed Verizon's 5G tower proposal along Ocean Ave. Concerns were raised about government overreach, RF health risks, and declining property values. Verizon is seeking waivers for six 40-foot towers, which violate local ordinances. The town plans to respond by mid-October, as this issue reflects broader 5G expansion challenges in Spring Lake and all along the Jersey Shore.
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