Pennsylvania Township Takes Steps to Ban Cell Towers Near Schools

Pennsylvania’s Silver Spring Township board of supervisors agreed to forward a request for a zoning text amendment that would prevent cellular towers from being constructed less than 1,000 feet from schools and day care facilities. According to the Patriot News, “The catalyst for the request, which will next be reviewed by county and township planning commissions, was a land lease agreement between Verizon and the Cumberland Valley School District, approved in August. The binding contract calls for Verizon to pay the district $24,000 each year to lease a 45-by-65-foot piece of land next to the soccer field behind Eagle View Middle School. In the past month, neighbors of the proposed site have complained to the school board about their concerns of decreased property values and health hazards of the originally 150-foot proposed tower, which has since been modified by Verizon to 80 feet in response to aesthetic concerns.” The proposed site is only 100 yards from classrooms at Eagle View and 300 yards from the playground area of Silver Spring Elementary. Many members of the community feel that there is no need to potentially put these children at risk and towers should be placed 1,000 feet away to keep radiation at bay.