“Get the Cell Out!” Say Angry Locals

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A Verizon tower recently went live in Little Silver, NJ, but that hasn’t stopped residents from vocalizing their outrage over the location and appearance of the 95-foot structure. The group Little Silver Against the Cell Tower—or ACT— built a grassroots campaign, which includes yard signs with the slogan “Get the Cell Out!” to pressure local government officials to relocate the structure, reports the Two River Times.

“Things that go up can come down,” said one of the group’s active members Jennifer Borenius to the Two River Times. “If we say there’s nothing we can do, we’re powerless.”

The group has expressed outrage over the location of the structure, which is fewer than 500 feet from a nearby school and its sports fields. ACT also expressed commonly held objections to cell towers, including health and safety hazards and decreasing property values as a result of the structure’s proximity to homes. 

On May 31, the group hosted a public meeting in which more than 130 residents attended to share information and coordinate actions to facilitate moving the structure. The meeting included local government officials who have garnered criticism from residents for the tower siting and have fielded calls to relocate it. The group has apparently made some headway in its efforts, as a borough council candidate for upcoming election proposed putting a referendum on the November ballot that asks residents whether or not the structure should be moved to a location more generally agreed upon by the community.

Verizon partnered with the borough as a way for Little Silver to save money on an aging radio tower that needed replacement. The borough partnered with the carrier to install public safety equipment on the newly-built cell tower, which will be used by local public safety and emergency officials.

June 14, 2017     

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