Small cells deployed by Verizon near the beach in Dewey Beach, DE have caused a yearlong ruckus in the town with a population of 332. An ordinance passed through the Planning and Zoning Commission last week sets down a new permitting process for installing 5G poles, according to Delaware Online. The ordinance will be considered at a Town Council meeting on November 19.
The ordinance sets design and aesthetic requirements for small cells. Additionally, a wireless structure may not be taller than 35 feet, unless the wireless company can prove otherwise, according to the proposed rules, with a maximum of 50 feet and no more than 10 percent taller than surrounding structures.
“If this ordinance passes, it would be a major stride in a year-long fight for regulating 5G poles in Dewey Beach. And yet, some unknowns persist such as how the town plans to regulate state-owned rights-of-way, the fate of a pending lawsuit against Verizon and how $375,000 of state funding could help relocate existing 5G poles,” according to Delaware Online.
In July, Verizon agreed to stop installing 5G poles in Dewey Beach after a temporary restraining order issued by the Court of Chancery, according to the Cape Gazette. The order issued was in response to a class-action lawsuit filed in June by Dewey Beach residents.
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