Belmar residents pushing back against Verizon's 35-foot-tall cell tower plan on boardwalk
There are no signs of any new activity yet of Verizon cell towers in Belmar.
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Verizon's proposed boardwalk cell towers in Belmar continue to see mounting opposition from local residents.
Signs are on full display in yards all over Belmar as residents are expressing their disapproval of the 5G towers that are planned for the entire length of the boardwalk.
Last month, News 12 New Jersey reported some temporary action by Verizon could be expected by the start of summer.
There are no signs of any new activity yet. And It’s unlikely Belmar will see the Verizon cell towers line the boardwalk this summer. The communications company must now get approval through Monmouth County to move forward with the plan.
Belmar Administrator Kevin Kane says since the poles would be installed on Ocean Avenue, this is a road controlled by Monmouth County - not Belmar.
The plans include putting up 20 of the 35-foot-tall towers along the beachfront that were approved by the last administration. A Change.org petition has doubled since last month and now has over 2,700 signatures. This is equal to nearly half the town's population.
During a May 23 council meeting, the borough introduced an ordinance amending the current wireless cell regulations.
Director Tom Arnone says the county is doing whatever it can to support Belmar in this process of keeping the towers off the area.
He says in 2016, Verizon had approval to install cell nodes on existing poles. This application involves installing new poles, and it will be challenged.
Arnone also says because the county only recently received this new application from Verizon, it's likely nothing will be settled by the end of summer.
