Plan to add cell towers along another Jersey Shore beach faces backlash

A proposal to install 5G cell towers in another Jersey Shore town is facing a backlash.

Verizon Wireless wants to install six cell towers in Spring Lake, a small borough along the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County. But, the company faced opposition during a recent public meeting.

The towers, which resemble large street lights, are proposed to be installed along Ocean Avenue, a county road near the beach. The cell towers' heights would be a maximum of either 35 feet or 110% of heights of structures in the "surrounding streetscapes," according to the company's application.

About 150 residents attended a public information session on the plan held during a borough council meeting last week. All who spoke were against the proposal, according to TAPinto Gold Coast , a local news outlet covering Spring Lake and neighboring municipalities.

Verizon submitted a request to the borough in January seeking approval for a waiver to install the towers, the outlet reported. The borough shares jurisdiction over the road with Monmouth County, but the cell tower proposal is not permitted under the municipality's ordinances, the outlet reported.

Residents in opposition cited health concerns, declining property values and government overreach, according to TAPinto Gold Coast. They also feared the proposal will set a precedent to build similar towers in other municipalities in the state.

"If you don't stop it now, I fear for what will happen to this town and a lot of towns like it," one resident said at the meeting, TAPinto Gold Coast reported.

Local residents also created a website dedicated to opposing the project in Spring Lake.

In a statement, Verizon officials said the company installed similar cell sites in neighboring communities with "no negative impact for residents or wildlife."

"Verizon's network improvements provide crucial connectivity for customers and emergency service providers in the community," the company said. "With consumers and businesses using increasing amounts of data each year, we continually enhance our network to meet the needs of homeowners, first responders and vacationers in beach communities."

Spring Lake Mayor Jennifer Noughton did not respond to a request for comment.

Similar cell tower poles have been installed in Sea Girt, Lavallette, Seaside Park, Ortley Beach, Asbury Park and Long Branch, according to a Verizon spokesperson.

The company is also seeking to install the cell towers in Belmar , but is facing significant opposition. A group of residents — including those who live within several hundred feet of the proposed tower locations — joined Monmouth County in a lawsuit to prevent the company from installing the poles along Ocean Avenue.

A Change.org petition asking Verizon to abandon its plans has more than 4,000 signatures.

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