The Bristol Borough, PA town council voted in favor of hearing a proposal from Verizon for a new cell tower, reports the Courier Times. “It’s going to go up whether we like it or not,” said Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe, bowing to the inevitable. “Do we want someone else to get [the funding] and we still have a tower?”
DiGuiseppe acknowledged that Verizon could opt to deal with a private citizen instead of Bristol Borough. Acceptance of a new tower on Memorial Field comes with a desirable payment of $25,000 to $28,000 per year along with a possible five percent more per year for the next five years. The council was loathe to surrender this revenue, and agreed on a location at the back of the local ballfield. The structure would be located in a 20-foot by 40-foot area near the fence line and would address coverage “dead zones.”
“It will create a health issue for kids on the fields,” argued councilman Tony Devine. He questioned the safety of a nearby cell tower, and pondered whether children would be at risk if additional antennas were added. DiGuiseppe said that the council would go ahead with its plans to work with Verizon, but noted that a final approval was pending because the council wanted “to make sure we have a guarantee that this is safe.”
Supporters of the tower proposal noted that the structure would be at the far end of the field away from the ballfield. They added that perforated steel plates on the ground would allow service trucks to access the tower without leaving behind tire tracks.
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