Bedminster council OKs construction of 150-foot cell tower

[larry]

I've been following this one for a long time now. Glad to see they finally won!

Bedminster council OKs construction of 150-foot cell tower
Posted by The Star-Ledger February 28, 2007 2:58PM
A 150-foot cell phone tower will be installed in Bedminster Township after a decision last night to approve a long-contested application by Sprint Spectrum.

At a special meeting last night, board members voted, 4-3, to approve an application to build a 3-foot-thick "flag pole"-style service tower on a residential Hillside Avenue property owned by James Nervine. The decision was the result of a judicial order to reconsider the application.

In 2005, the board unanimously denied Sprint's application to build the pole on the Nervine site. The company later sought to locate the tower on a commercial property off Route 206 owned by Mayor Robert Holtaway and his business partners, but that application was also denied.

Sprint, joined by the wireless carrier Verizon, sued the board, claiming a violation of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which mandates towns accommodate wireless companies seeking to fill gaps in cell phone service.

On Nov. 13, Superior Court Judge Victor Ashrafi upheld the denial of the Holtaway application but ruled the zoning board's denial of the Nervine application was "arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable" and violated the Telecommunications Act. The matter was remanded back to the board to be reconsidered and resolved before March 16.

Last night, board chairwoman Grania Allport said the judge's ruling gave the board "very narrow parameters" in deciding the application. An offer to allow residents to comment on whether they preferred a pole fashioned as a standard monopole or styled like a tree - the proposed "tree" would stand some 80 feet above the tree line - was panned by residents opposed to the application.

Despite the greenlight given last night, the township has reserved the right to appeal the judge's decision, although no appeal has been filed. The judge's order also left open the possibility of re-opening the Holtaway application as part of an agreement with Sprint.

http://blog.nj.com/ledgerupdates/200...s_constru.html

[Fire14]

Good, glad to hear the Judge ruled in Sprint's & Verizon's favor. I guess he left it open by saying they had to build at the original spot so it didn't open the availability for Both spots being ok'd for towers.

I wonder when these towns are going to learn & stop spending the taxpayers money on lawsuits.

[JFB]

Did anybody else read that Donald Trump said he wants to be buried in Bedminster on his golf course when he dies....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17273699/

[Fire14]

Did anybody else read that Donald Trump said he wants to be buried in Bedminster on his golf course when he dies....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17273699/

Couldn't miss that news here in NJ, right by the 1st tee. He is amazing on what he wants to do.