Lawrence Township Needs To Rethink Cell Tower Construction

Many Carter Rd. residents attended an “informational meeting” last Thursday where Lawrence Township Manager Richard Krawczun reiterated the Township’s plan to allow Verizon (Cellco) to erect two 160 ft. cell phone towers on a two acre plot of land on Carter Road.
Several questions were raised at the meeting, some of which were given truly unsatisfactory answers. This small plot of land has several height and setback zoning stipulations that the township says they do not need to pay attention to since the land belongs them. Evidently, they do not have to follow their own rules. Let’s not forget that the township is comprised of its residents, not just township management.
This small land plot was gifted to Lawrence Township by Bristol-Myers Squibb years back for the purposes of a fire station or a police station. The town never followed through with such a plan and BMS built their own fire station on campus. That station has sophisticated radio communications for fire and police needs. And it is less than one-fourth of a mile from this proposed cell tower site.
If they were building a structure on this small plot for the direct benefit of Lawrence Township then they would be able to proceed without conflict. However, they are leasing this land to Verizon (Cellco). And Verizon (Cellco) will perform the construction. Consequently, it seems reasonable that Verizon should need to apply for zoning variances, since they are not of the township.When I asked the township management why Verizon can build in violation of current zoning, Mr. Roskos, the Planning and Zoning Board’s attorney, replied with, “Well,…the township needs this tower for police and fire communications too.”
Frankly, I would like to believe that Mr. Roskos is capable of a better answer.
It is more than evident that there is no good answer to this question. Remember, the BMS fire station firmly establishes radio communications in this immediate area.One reason for turning down the Peterson variance application (at a formal Zoning Board meeting, with stenographer) stemmed from the “availability” of this other site on Carter Rd. The Peterson decision will be appealed and, until that is decided, no construction could possibly begin on Carter Rd. The Zoning Board forever married these two sites to one another by offering Carter Rd. as an alternate site. This is a matter of public record.
I also have concerns for the health and well-being of my family and my neighbors. My wife is a cancer survivor. Five years ago was a rough time for us. After spending 20 years studying human health as a drug discovery scientist, it is the unexpected problems that cause us to lose sleep. I can say, with confidence, that the effects of constant Rf radiation are not yet entirely understood (like Asbestos in the 1960s).
I am asking that Lawrence Township abandon what is a really bad idea.

David Augeri, Ph. D.
Lawrence, N.J.

Lawrence Township Needs To Rethink Cell Tower Construction

Many Carter Rd. residents attended an “informational meeting” last Thursday where Lawrence Township Manager Richard Krawczun reiterated the Township’s plan to allow Verizon (Cellco) to erect two 160 ft. cell phone towers on a two acre plot of land on Carter Road.
Several questions were raised at the meeting, some of which were given truly unsatisfactory answers. This small plot of land has several height and setback zoning stipulations that the township says they do not need to pay attention to since the land belongs them. Evidently, they do not have to follow their own rules. Let’s not forget that the township is comprised of its residents, not just township management.
This small land plot was gifted to Lawrence Township by Bristol-Myers Squibb years back for the purposes of a fire station or a police station. The town never followed through with such a plan and BMS built their own fire station on campus. That station has sophisticated radio communications for fire and police needs. And it is less than one-fourth of a mile from this proposed cell tower site.
If they were building a structure on this small plot for the direct benefit of Lawrence Township then they would be able to proceed without conflict. However, they are leasing this land to Verizon (Cellco). And Verizon (Cellco) will perform the construction. Consequently, it seems reasonable that Verizon should need to apply for zoning variances, since they are not of the township.When I asked the township management why Verizon can build in violation of current zoning, Mr. Roskos, the Planning and Zoning Board’s attorney, replied with, “Well,…the township needs this tower for police and fire communications too.”
Frankly, I would like to believe that Mr. Roskos is capable of a better answer.
It is more than evident that there is no good answer to this question. Remember, the BMS fire station firmly establishes radio communications in this immediate area.One reason for turning down the Peterson variance application (at a formal Zoning Board meeting, with stenographer) stemmed from the “availability” of this other site on Carter Rd. The Peterson decision will be appealed and, until that is decided, no construction could possibly begin on Carter Rd. The Zoning Board forever married these two sites to one another by offering Carter Rd. as an alternate site. This is a matter of public record.
I also have concerns for the health and well-being of my family and my neighbors. My wife is a cancer survivor. Five years ago was a rough time for us. After spending 20 years studying human health as a drug discovery scientist, it is the unexpected problems that cause us to lose sleep. I can say, with confidence, that the effects of constant Rf radiation are not yet entirely understood (like Asbestos in the 1960s).
I am asking that Lawrence Township abandon what is a really bad idea.

David Augeri, Ph. D.
Lawrence, N.J.