It’s the classic David and Goliath story, done Hudson County-style. The proliferation of cell phone usage amongst the general population dictates that cell providers erect antennae on rooftops all over. But these “cell sites” are considered by many to be unsightly, and some people still believe they could be dangerous, despite government evidence to the contrary.
Hudson County’s designation as the most densely populated county in the United States makes the issue even more contentious. Though the battle between cellular giants and the towns they wish to place antennae in is repeated in many different areas, in Hudson County, the chorus of dissent is loud and poised.
Recently, two of the biggest cellular providers in the wireless field, Omnipoint Communications and Verizon, applied for variances to construct cell sites in West New York. Both companies currently have sites in the town, but according to representatives from both, there is a strong need to expand their coverage in the middle of town around the 60s and along Boulevard East running from the 50s down toward the Weehawken border.
A February, 2003 Reporter article outlined the issues that surround the proliferation of cellular sites in the area. It seems that the two main concerns of the public at large are the aesthetic quality of the antennas (a subjective issue) and more importantly, the safety of such a large number of antennas and the equipment that goes along with them.
In the article, the Network and Academic Computing Services web site (www.nacs.uci.org) states, “Radio frequency (RF) emissions from antennas used for wireless transmissions such as cellular and PCS signals result in exposure levels on the ground that are typically thousands of times less than safety limits. These safety limits were adopted by the FCC based on the recommendations of expert organizations and endorsed by agencies of the Federal Government responsible for health and safety. Therefore, there is no reason to believe that such towers could constitute a potential health hazard to nearby residents or students.”
Government officials say there is no danger from the sites.
Said Hoboken Corporation Counsel Joseph Sherman, “You cannot ban the placement of cell antennas. That would violate all kinds of constitutional rules. We encourage the erection of towers in non-residential areas first. These companies must go through planning, zoning and quite possibly historic preservation boards in order to erect these antennas.”
The antennae must fall within height guidelines in zoning, for instance, but boards cannot deny them due to subjective concerns.
Yet, some residents still question the safety and the seemingly vague laws that cover placement of these antennas.
One of those people is Angie Rotella-Suarez. Suarez lives with her parents on Harrison Place in West New York and is concerned about plans that a cellular provider has to build a cell site near their home. Recently, Omnipoint Communications applied for a variance to place cellular antennas and their ancillary equipment on a building located at 6006 Bergenline Ave. This address abuts a tract of densely packed backyards, the Rotellas’ included. According to Suarez, there are, by her count, 71 cellular antennas in West New York.
“Do we really need these in our backyard? What is the benefit to West New York?,” said Suarez in a recent interview.
“We redo Bergenline Avenue, but then you put all these antennas up,” she added. “They look horrible.”
Her father, Julius Rotella, a World War II veteran and lifelong resident of West New York, is adamant in his opposition to the antennas. As a Loran (a type of radar) operator in his Navy days, Rotella felt at least minimally qualified to comment on the technical nature of the antennas.
Said Rotella, “A person can only stand by these boxes and wires for 15 minutes at a time. If that’s the case, how can they call them safe? The bottom line is that cellular technology hasn’t been around long enough for anyone to know.”
At a special meeting of the West New York Board of Adjustment last week, representatives from both cellular companies (Omnipoint and Verizon) were on hand to argue their case before the board. However, both parties arrived late, which resulted in Omnipoint being voted off the agenda. Omnipoint lawyers argued for leniency and were granted time to speak later in the meeting, but nothing of consequence transpired.
Said Angie Rotella-Suarez to the board, “Don’t grant them time to speak. They were late, and if it’s that unimportant to them, then they shouldn’t be granted time.”
Representatives from Verizon were called to testify before the board on their proposed plans to build a site at 6050 Boulevard East. More than two hours of testimony followed. Board of Adjustments Attorney Andy Aslanian peppered the attorney representing Verizon, Warren Stilwell, with questions about placement, safety and aesthetics.
At one point, “RF (radio frequency) expert” and Verizon consultant David Stern was called to testify before the board, and at times, his testimony became a cacophony of technical jargon and acronyms for cellular systems that would leave the head of anyone without an engineering degree spinning.
And this plays up a very important issue in this ongoing saga. For the most part, the average citizen has close to no clue about the technology that permits cellular phones to work. They only know that a large conglomerate that has no knowledge of their community wants to come in and place electronic equipment in and on the buildings that surround their homes. They feel defensive and argue about safety issues, even if they really have no solid evidence to back up their claims.
At last week’s meeting the testimony of RF expert Stern was met with empty stares and grimaces of confusion from board and audience members alike.
So the argument falls back, invariably, to aesthetics. And what the antennas look like is not a legal argument against them. So, what usually winds up happening is that after protracted legal wrangling, the cellular companies win. A cursory look around West New York and Union City proves this.
The next West New York Board of Adjustment meeting will be on September 24, 2003 at 7 p.m. The discussion will be continued then.