Ramtown cell tower hearing expected to resume Oct. 23
Residents are objecting to placement of tower on fire dept. property
BY LARRY HLAVENKA
Staff Writer

During the past few months, representatives of Omnipoint Communications Inc. have appeared before the Howell Plan-ning Board and the Howell Zoning Board of Adjustment to seek approval for a series of telecommunications towers.

Two of those proposed towers were approved without incident.

One tower that is proposed to be built in the Ramtown section of Howell was not.

On Oct. 23 the zoning board will continue to hear testimony on the application for the tower in Ramtown. The hearing was carried from a meeting in August.

As proposed, a 150-foot-tall communications tower to be built on the 1.5-acre property of the Ramtown Fire Company, Ramtown-Greenville Road, Howell, will facilitate wireless telephone service in the area.

At the zoning board meeting in August, many residents objected to the application. The residents expressed concern about a possible negative impact on their health as a reason for not wanting a communications tower near their home.

Resident Rhea Villanti fears a multitude of health issues will result from the construction of the tower on the fire company's property. Villanti said she researched the issue and learned that some studies indicate communications towers such as the one being proposed in Ramtown cause cancers and other behavioral problems. With schools nearby, she worries about the students' safety.

"I can't imagine the [students] being exposed over the school day for one year," she said. "Cancers haven't been proven, but it hasn't been decided definitively. This shouldn't be in a residential area."

Villanti likened the potential effects of the tower to what people said about asbestos or cigarette smoke years ago - that the effects were benign - only to be proved wrong over time.

"Why take a chance?" she said. "I can understand why the fire department would want it and why they need it, but I don't think they were informed of the risks."

Not true, said Capt. Bob Nichols of the fire company.

"Many of the concerns were the things that were discussed when it was brought to us by [Omnipoint]," he said. "The company is compliant with all health and safety regulations, which was our concern."

Nichols said members of the zoning board recently toured the property with Omnipoint representatives.

He said having the tower on its property will help the fire department, which is a "complete volunteer organization, dependent on fund-raisers," generate revenue.

Furthermore, Nichols said, the tower should "improve communications in this part of town and support capital projects" for the fire department as well.

At the Planning Board's Aug. 4 meeting, the panel approved the construction of a 120-foot tall tower on municipal property at a park and ride lot on the northbound side of Route 9 at Aldrich Road.

Since the property is owned by Howell, Omnipoint will lease the land from the township. As part of the agreement, Omnipoint will pay Howell $2,800 a month in rent.

The board's second recent approval relating to a communications tower was for additions to an existing tower on the northbound side of Route 9 across from Home Depot. The board approved the addition of six antennas to the 12 antennas which are already on the 160-foot tall tower.