On Monday, the Lavallette City Council denied Verizon Wireless’ application for seven 5G small cells, even after the planning board recommended conditional approvals for two of the nodes. Council members voted down the nodes because several addresses proposed by Verizon don’t exist on the Ocean county tax list, reported Shorebeat.
“I find that the accuracy of the information in the applications is subject to question, and I find that some information is missing,” said Councilwoman Joanne Filippone.
“For a lot of these, they came up with addresses out of the air,” added Borough Administrator Robert Brice.
In rejecting Verizon’s seven applications – which all required an individual vote – the council determined that the proposed height of 38 feet violates a city ordinance. They also concluded that Verizon’s application “provides no information on the finish or the color of camouflaging” for the small cells. Additionally, the council ruled that the request did not specify, in detail, how the nodes would perform and be maintained in a coastal area, per Shorebeat.
“The Verizon people came here and thought they were going to take over our sleepy little town,” said Marlene Chamberlain, a vocal opponent of 5G networks. Other complaints lodged included concerns over RF emissions-related health threats.
According to Shorebeat, representatives for Verizon were not present at the meeting. It’s unclear at this time whether the telecom will take legal action regarding the rejection of the application.
December 4, 2019
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