After a lengthy Hopewell Township Zoning Board meeting last night, the board has declined to make a final decision regarding an application to permit a cell phone tower on the property of 263 Rocky Hill Road, Pennington, New Jersey.
The applicant is seeking a use variance to build a 100 foot tall (expandable to 150 foot tall) telecommunications tower on property, currently zoned as residential. The property is adjacent to the Watershed Reserve to the east of the proposed location and residential homes to the south, north and east. HERE is the link to MercerMe article with additional links to regulations.
Sources tell MercerMe that the meeting was well attended with many supporters of the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed and the Sourland Conservancy. One attendee even held up a handmade sign in opposition to the cell tower erection.
Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed attorney, Michele Donato, spoke against the application and waivers sought by the applicant at the meeting, arguing that the tower is a threat to a number of values, included forested habitat, wetlands, stream corridor on and off the Watershed Reserve.
“In our view the Board made it very clear that the applicant has a long way to go to prove that this project is necessary, that there are no alternative locations available and that it would comply with the various environmental
measures,” shared Jim Waltman, Executive Director of Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed.
UPDATED: The Zoning Board will continue its consideration and discussion of the issue at the August Zoning Board meeting on August 6th at 7:30PM.
