With a unanimous 7-0 vote, the City Council of Ocean City, NJ has approved a new zoning ordinance. As OCNJ Daily reports, pole placement will be restricted to city property and utility poles. Private properties will not be allowed to host new cell tower facilities. However, this will not affect existing structures, or applications that are already underway.
“This ordinance provides that wireless communication towers and antennas shall only be permitted on property that’s owned, leased or otherwise controlled by the city,” confirmed Ocean City Solicitor, Dorothy McCrosson.
“So, now this ordinance gives us more control over towers and antennas and where they go?” asked Council Vice President, Karen Bergman. “So, this gives us more control of what’s allowed to be built?” McCrosson answered in the affirmative.
“The new process has a permitting application filed with the administrative officer designated by the city business administrator [George Savastano],” explained McCrosson. “They file a permit to seek to put a device on an existing pole and there is a review fee. There is a review by the city to see if it is an appropriate pole, and they have to post proof of insurance.”
Going forward, telecoms can petition to add antennas to existing public right of way host sites. The ordinance favors using existing structures where possible and would bar wireless carriers from installing new poles anywhere in Ocean City other than authorized public utility locations.
The controversial placement of Verizon Wireless equipment atop a real estate building at 3337-39 Haven Avenue is already in progress and will not be subject to the private property restriction. The planning board is set to resume that discussion at its June 14 meeting. Whether or not additional health studies are needed will also be reviewed by the board at that time.
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