Mobile Impact : Stop Cell Towers and Antennas in Residential Neighborhoods

For the past few days we have been bombarded with reminders that effective March 1st, police have the authority to stop and ticket you for hand-held cell phone use in New Jersey since the revised law now makes it a primary offense. While I applaud the State in its’ attempted effort to reduce traffic accidents, I can’t help but feel that the State and for that matter, the Nation, could benefit from this protective nature in the form of revisions to the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996.

It is time to push our State legislators into action! We already know of one congressional representative in our Township who successfully blocked the installation of a cellular antennae near his residence but no one knows how!!! Why should only our legislators be protected from the negative impacts of cellular equipment near their homes? Do you deserve the same protection? Did you save your hard earned money to purchase your home? Are you entitled to reap the benefits (limited as they are in this real estate market) of appreciation in your property values? If you are at this blog, then I know you agree that there should be no difference here – one-size fits all.

Our fight here in Brandon Farms to prevent T-Mobile from locating their cellular antennae equipment on top of the water tower is local to us, but as you can see by other posts on this blog, this is a state-wide and national issue. All over the country there are homeowners in our predicament all in the name of the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 (FTA). Which brings me to my point – the only solution is to revise the Act of 1996. If we can unite this effort with the other residents throughout New Jersey fighting cell towers/antennae and join together with the residents of other states embroiled in this mess, we, the VOTING public, have the power to lobby congress just as hard as the $400 million that helped pass the original law. There is NO reason except apathy, why our congressional representatives cannot introduce a bill into Congress that would significantly curtail the ability of telecommunicates providers to locate cellular towers and/or equipment nears homes and schools. But sometimes you do need to lead a horse to water so come on people – let them know.

Make it dummy proof – PLEASE MR. SENATOR – AS MY ELECTED CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE, I IMPLORE YOU TO INTRODUCE A BILL INTO CONGRESS AND WORK TO SEE IT SIGNED INTO LAW THAT WILL CLARIFY AND CURTAIL THE PERCEIVED OPEN-ENDED POWER OF THE FEDERAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1996 BY IMPLEMENTING STRICT STANDARDS ON THE PLACEMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT NEAR OR CLOSE TO RESIDENCES AND SCHOOLS. THIS IS AN ISSUE OF STATE-WIDE AND NATIONAL IMPORTANCE! Signed, your Constituent.

Rush Holt has publicized his Town Hall Meetings where the residents of the State can voice their concerns and interests occurring as we speak throughout the State of New Jersey. What better time to tell him that we too, deserve protection and that we too want cell antennae away from our homes and schools! We may or may not win the appeal, but I guarantee you that this will not be the last of this type of an issue. Until the Act of 1996 is revised, this is not a “done deal!”

Marta Gold

On October 18, 2007, when the Hopewell Township Planning Board unanimously approved T-Mobile’s application which gave them the go ahead to outfit a water tower with antennas, battery packs and wires, a small group of residents came out to question, air their concerns and ultimately fight. This small group of individuals made up of various professional backgrounds and expertise has since grown and has become more educated, informed and concerned about the “oversight” in the township’s ordinance that allowed T-Mobile to push forward (see the blog www.brandonfarmswatertower.com). This group’s sole purpose is to STOP T-Mobile and other cell companies from outfitting their antennas, battery packs and wires on this water tower and to prevent this from happening in any other residential areas in Hopewell Valley. We do not all have impressive credentials but we do have a lot in common. We are families, young and old, with and with out children, who are outraged, concerned and very disheartened over this issue. The water tower, a.k.a The Brandon Farms Water Tower, is smack in the middle of the most densely populated residential area in all of Hopewell Valley. Let’s not forget that a 500-student elementary school/playing fields are located within 500 feet of this Water Tower. 

There are many reasons for all of Hopewell Valley residents to be concerned and get involved. Here are just a few:

• This approval was given by The Hopewell Township Planning Board without any regard to the community it would directly effect. They claim that T-Mobile “dotted all their i’s and crossed their t’s” and our Planning Board had no choice but to approve. We now know this is not true. (see blog regarding the Federal Communications Act of 1996 www.brandonfarmswatertower.com)  I find it hard to believe that the Planning Board could not have questioned the application, stalled it, in order to give the members and residents more time to become educated about our poorly written ordinances. You should know that only 5 residents (out of over 1,200 homes) were originally notified about T-Mobile’s plans. You should also know that T-Mobile set their sights on this tower over 18 months ago, how long did our Township Committee, Zoning and Planning Boards know? Hmmm.
• Many veteran Real Estate professionals have given evidence of property value decline in communities with cell phone towers. Not sure why this does not touch on everyone’s nerve! We all pay a lot in property taxes for houses that will most likely decrease in value. We can just get reassessed, right? Easier said than done-we will be paying these high taxes for a long time regardless of the value of our homes. The tax office is it’s own entity and no Committee, Zoning, Planning Boards and/ or residents can demand a reassessment. If you are concerned about aesthetics, this water tower will, in the words of our township engineer, look like a porcupine!

• This next concern is very difficult to discuss, as there are two schools of thought.  Health concerns about the RF Electromagnetic Waves that will be emitted from the cell tower. I will not be ignorant and state with absolute certainty that from what I have read there are negative health effects from being exposed to this type of RF radiation. I will however state that there are a lot of what if’s, possibilities and reasons for concern and that many more studies need to be conducted before I can have any peace of mind. I respect the opinions of those who feel otherwise but I will not be comforted by the words of a not retired PhD, CHP, CIH; “RF radiation from cell towers will not cause any harmful health effects” (Hopewell Valley News January 10, 2008). We just do not know for sure. More detailed, long term studies take years, years that I am not willing to gamble with only to find out that my children or future grandchildren have medical issues because they lived near a cell phone tower. I have a child with a serious medical condition, is she in a higher risk factor because of her medical history? I do not know. I do not want to take the chance with her or the rest of my family and I think a reasonable statement would be that most others do not want to either.
• You live in Hopewell Valley for a variety of reasons. You are a part of a large community. A community that is asking for help. Become involved or at the very least stay informed. Don’t let someone else do the fighting for you.  Contact our Township Committee members and express your concerns.

Let’s not lose sight of why we are fighting T-Mobile. We do not want them to outfit the Water Tower and turn it into a cell phone tower. We do not want any cell phone towers placed in residential communities in Hopewell Valley. We want the ordinances to be changed to protect all the citizens of our township. Don’t be selfish by being in favor of T-Mobile because you don’t have 3 bars of T-Mobile coverage when you drive by the Water Tower. Make a statement…pick another cell carrier, and there are many, who can give you the coverage you need. We have choices…use them.  

It seems so simple but sadly it is not. This issue has and will directly affect Brandon Farms and surrounding neighborhoods. By no means should you feel safe, this could happen within your community of Hopewell Valley. In fact it already happened to another community. I attended the Township Meeting on Monday the 14^th of January and learned that a cell tower is being outfitted on top of a radio tower (existing structure) on New Road. The community offered an alternate sight only to be ignored. Did the Township Committee, Zoning and or Planning Boards not realize then that our ordinances were poorly written and did not protect the citizens? This cell company’s application started in 2004! The Township knew that there was an existing structure, our Water Tower, right in the middle of the most densely populated section of Hopewell Valley. Nobody thought that we were a potential target? Everyone is concerned about the letter of the law. We are continually told (at times scolded) that the Planning Board did what they were supposed to do that they had no choice. Seems to me that all of the Township members have lost sight of what is most important…taking care of the people of Hopewell Valley. One thing is certain; no community is safe from cell phone companies their towers, antennas, battery packs, wires and RF radiation! 

I would like to thank the committee formed to fight this injustice that is being forced upon the entire Hopewell Township community. Your energy, knowledge, concern and determination are empowering.  

Moira

Brandon Farms Resident who cannot see the tower from our home Wife and Mother of three (two who attend Stony Brook Elementary School)No PhD

Over the past few months, I’ve been asked dozens of times about our fight to keep T-Mobile and other cell providers out of our community. Well, we’ve now captured our story on video so anyone visiting our blog can learn about our unfortunate situation in only 5:23. :)

For those of you new to our blog, don’t let this happen in your community. Please watch our video, learn how to protect your family, and support our cause by posting a comment.

Thank you for your support!

Lisa

Over the past few months, any time a group of local citizens has gathered to discuss T-Mobile’s installation of cellular transmitters on the Brandon Farms water tower, the Federal Communications Act of 1996 has been part of the discussion. This happens in informal meetings at residences all the way up to official township committee meetings.

The reason this happens is that the FCA is a tool that cellular telephone companies use to smooth the way for them to install transmitters where they want to install them. However, they are only half of the problem. Local government, in this case the Hopewell Township Committee, should be held as accountable as T-Mobile for the application of the FCA.

The Founding Fathers were intelligent and motivated people. The experience they had with a tyrannical monarchy was fresh in their minds while they were putting together the basic structure of our government. As we were taught in history classes, Checks and Balances were designed into our government to prevent the Executive Branch of the government from gaining too much power and behaving like a monarchy. The equal power of the Executive, Judicial and Legislative branches of government ensure that no one entity will have significantly more power than the other.

However, there is another level of checks and balances that people forget about. The wisdom of the founding fathers is evident in the fact that they gave state and local governments power to legislate their own laws. This was intentional and allows those many smaller entities to collectively balance the federal government’s power.

T-Mobile hired a prominent law firm as their representative to present the plans to convert the water tower into a cell tower. This provides T-Mobile with distinct advantages as they present to local government. One of those advantages is that the law firm is very good at using the Federal Communications Act as a bludgeon to bully local governments into allowing tower installations with minimal resistance. However, local governments can work within the FCA and require strict compliance with their own regulations. There is a local government here in New Jersey that is effectively forcing cellular companies to meet tough ordinances, even with the Federal Communications Act in the background. More on that later, first let’s look at the application of Federal Communications Act in our neighborhoods.

According to the FCC:

“The Federal Communications Act of 1996 is the first major overhaul of telecommunications law in almost 62 years. The goal of this new law is to let anyone enter any communications business — to let any communications business compete in any market against any other. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 has the potential to change the way we work, live and learn. It will affect telephone service — local and long distance, cable programming and other video service, broadcast services and services provided to schools. The Federal Communications Commission has a tremendous role to play in creating fair rules for this new era of competition.”

The part of the FCA that our local government has chosen not to challenge is listed in part here (This excerpt is from a document available on the FCC website titled “A Local Government Officials Guide to Transmitting Antenna RF Emission Safety: Rules, Procedures and Practical Guidance”, bold typeface added by me)

This document is not intended to provide legal guidance regarding the scope of state or local government authority under Section 332(c)(7) or any other provision of law. Section 332(c)(7)4 generally preserves state and local authority over decisions regarding the placement, construction, and modification of personal wireless service facilities,5 subject to specific limitations set forth in Section 332(c)(7). Among other things, Section 332(c)(7) provides that
“[n]o State or local government or instrumentality thereof may regulate the placement, construction, and modification of personal wireless service facilities on the basis of the environmental effects of radio frequency emissions to the extent that such facilities comply with [FCC’s] regulations concerning such emissions.” The full text of Section 332(c)(7) is set forth in Appendix C.

There is much more text in the document, but I want to point out the two bold sections. The second passage basically says that as long as a transmitter falls below FCC safety limits, no state or local government may challenge an installation on the basis of environmental effects. This is the portion of the FC A that corporations use to push installations through and is the provision that our local government is hiding behind. However, the first statement says that the state and local authority over decisions regarding placement, construction and modification of wireless transmitters is preserved. This is the check and balance system at work.

According to Common Cause, a nonprofit advocacy organization:

“Since 1997, just eight of the country’s largest and most powerful media and telecommunications companies, their corporate parents, and three of their trade groups, have spent more than $400 million on political contributions and lobbying in Washington, according to an analysis of federal records. All this investment once again gives radio and television broadcasters, telephone companies, long-distance providers, cable systems and Internet companies a huge advantage over average citizens.”

None of this prevents a local government challenge to the placement of antennas. The deck is stacked against the local citizens and their representatives, but it is not the sure thing that the bluster of the telecom corporations or their legal representation would have you believe.

An article in the Independent News dated October 24, 2007 refers to Sprint Communications “facing the toughest cell tower law in the nation”, not too far from us in New Providence, NJ. The local government has taken an intriguing approach to the application of the Federal Communications Act. The town council created an ordinance so tough that Sprint withdrew its application to install cell antennas in their town.

The council researched the Federal Communications Act of 1996 and found that “wireless carriers have had a free hand in placing new cell towers as long as they could prove a significant gap in voice coverage”. Councilman J. Brooke Herne consulted with experts to navigate through the meanings of the words “significant gap” and “voice coverage”. Specifically he wanted to understand the difference between a significant gap in coverage as mandated by the 1996 FCA and reliable in-building coverage. What Councilman Herne discovered is that “reliable is a higher level of coverage than that required by federal law. Reliable is a wider, broader band of connectivity that enables cellular telephone companies to sell more services and make more money.”

This is a major point related to the installation of equipment on the water tower. If you look on T-Mobile’s web site under their “Coverage” link, you can see their coverage in the area that would be serviced by equipment on our water tower. According to their own website, T-Mobile has 1 to 3 bars of coverage in this area. They state that 3 bars means you should able to make calls in your car or outdoors, 1 bar means you should be able to make calls outdoors, but not in buildings. Does this represent a “significant gap in voice coverage”? In T-Mobile’s testimony at the Township Committee Meeting on October 18, 2007, they refer to an FCC mandate to provide reliable communication service in this area. As demonstrated by the town of New Providence, no such mandate for reliable communication service exists. As you can see from the T-Mobile coverage map, no significant gap in voice coverage exists near the water tower.

The New Providence law “compels cell companies to provide the Board of Adjustment the same proof required in court – clear and convincing evidence and expert testimony that a significant gap in voice service exists. It’s not enough to say that they are trying to increase bandwidth to make more money on services other than voice”. I believe that the second sentence accurately states what T-Mobile is looking for from the water tower installation.

We’ve met with several people from T-Mobile. They are not bad people; they have families to feed, just like we do. They are operating under accepted laws as a large corporation. I work for a large corporation myself. All in all, large corporations want to do the right thing and usually have value systems and guidelines in place to encourage ethical, community friendly behavior while attempting to maximize profits for shareholders and employees.

We’ve met with Hopewell Township committee members. They are not bad people either. They are trying to govern the township in the best way they can while working within Federal and State guidelines.

With that said, I believe that the township has a responsibility to operate on behalf of its constituents. It is too easy for Hopewell Township (and T-Mobile) to hide behind the Federal Communications Act and say there is nothing they can do. In addition, it is not true. When the Federal Government allowed lobbyists and political contributions to drive the writing and passage of the Federal Communications Act, the balance of power swung away from the local citizen and toward the Federal Government on behalf of large telecommunications corporations.

I urge the Hopewell Township Committee to help swing that balance of power back to the middle where it belongs by supporting the local constituents on preventing the installation of cellular transmitters on our Brandon Farms water tower. It is not only possible and allowable, but it is necessary.

Mike Hayden

Even if you aren’t concerned about the amount of money spent by lobbyists during the time the Federal Communications Act was written and passed (more on that subject in a coming blog). Even if you believe that the government is on top of the safety issues related to radiation (anyone remember Thalidomide? Cigarettes? Lead based paint? Vioxx?, this list could go on and on), there is an unresolved issue related to the water tower / cell tower that will affect many people in Brandon Farms and in the wider Hopewell region.

The Impact on Real Estate
Let me pose a question that I asked the Hopewell Township Committee Members that were present, along with several hundred residents, at the township meeting on November 13, 2007. Let’s assume you were in the market for a new house. You look at two houses that are identical in every way – go to the same schools, have the same size property, the same layout and amenities, both are listed for the same price and pay the same tax rate, etc. However, one house is within 200 feet of a cell tower antenna array. Does anyone purchase the house near the antenna? At a minimum, even if you aren’t concerned about potential health issues with the radiation, don’t you try to at least deal for a lower price than the house without the antenna?

There are many people in our township that don’t realize that this is their issue, possibly because they can’t see the tower from their house. As best as I can figure, the water tower is visible from the “belly” up to most of the Mershon Chase and Four Seasons sections of the neighborhood. In addition the water tower is visible to sizeable portions of the Smiths Crossing and Twin Pines sections of the neighborhood. It is also highly visible from Lawrenceville-Pennington Road and the entrances to Mershon Chase, Four Seasons and Smiths Crossing. Doing a quick mental count and putting a conservative estimate together, I’d say that more than 300 households in these parts of the Brandon Farms neighborhood have a direct view of the top of the tower. That makes 300 households that are affected to one degree or another by an unsightly water tower wrapped in the various styles, sizes and types of antennas used by the cellular corporations.

Others Will Join the Cell Tower Party…
Make no mistake about it, if T-Mobile is allowed to install antennas on the water tower, other companies will too, regardless of whether or not the ordinances are changed to make it more difficult. I can see the arguments now – we know from the original meetings that there is at least one other provider interested in the site. Will that additional provider give up when they find out that the ordinance has been changed, but T-Mobile was allowed to install on the tower? Of course not! They can argue that they are being targeted and not allowed to compete fairly.

The Federal Communications Act limits the power output of any given cell antenna site to between roughly 1000 and 2000 Watts, depending on the type of communications. Given what we know about T-Mobile’s application, if we assume that other companies are similar in type of transmitter and power output, we can expect an additional 3 to 6 carriers might install equipment on the water tower.

I am not a real estate agent. It seems like common sense that the houses within site of a 120 foot water tower bristling with antennas will sell for lower prices than comparable houses in similar areas without that type of structure.

One of the ways to determine the value of a property is through the Sales Comparison Approach. This method of real estate appraisal compares a house’s characteristics with those of similar properties that have recently sold. The Sales Comparison Approach helps appraisers to adjust the price of a property based on the presence, absence or degree of characteristics which influence value.

Comps Affect the Price of Your Home
Most of us have heard or maybe even used the shortened name for this appraisal method, “Comps”. A savvy home buyer (and I think we can assume that anyone who can afford a house and the taxes in Hopewell is a savvy buyer) will go through the bid and negotiation process with data on “comps” that increase their chances to buy at a lower price.

So maybe you know someone who isn’t concerned about T-Mobile installing antennas on the water tower. They don’t think it will affect them in any way, they can’t see the tower from where they live. Maybe they live in Brandon Farms. Maybe they live somewhere else in Hopewell.

The Big Picture
Maybe they haven‘t thought about the fact that more than 300 homes, approximately 25% of the residences in Brandon Farms have a direct view of the tower. Will 25% of the homes in Brandon Farms have an effect on area “comps”? I think so. Actually, I think that it could have an effect on a much wider area of Hopewell than just Brandon Farms. I know that I would use the data to try to negotiate a lower price on any house in this neighborhood. Would you?

Lisa

As I lay awake another night at 2 a.m. with Christmas around the corner, my children fighting a brutal stomach virus, what do you think is on my mind? T-Mobile! How can I stop them from putting a cell tower only 180 feet from my family? This is the overriding thought that has been in my head since October 18th when my Hopewell Township Committee granted T-Mobile a variance and permission to transform a harmless, non-radiating water tower into a cell tower. It has consumed me and many of my neighbors too. This is the “T-Mobile Impact” and it affects me on a daily basis.

Loopholes We Shouldn’t Have to Live With
I cannot fathom that due to an ordinance with a loophole encouraging cell providers to co-locate on existing structures (no matter where or how close they are located to human beings) that soon our community will be living under constant radiation. Yes, it may be at a low level, but it’s constant. Can anyone guarantee that there is no chance of our families being physically, mentally and emotionally affected by this? No! So what percent are we willing to live with 10%, 8%, 5%, 3%? What percent will give us peace of mind? Right now the water tower gives 0% chance of harm to our community, and that’s what we deserve.

Patrick Lamb from T-Mobile
Who can help us rectify this situation? We have met with Patrick Lamb of T-Mobile, he listens very well, gives little rays of hope and then takes them away in the same breath. Why can’t he realize that a community of potential customers would be so much more grateful to a business that sometimes cares more about people the bottom line.

Trenton Water Works Failed
How about Trenton Water works? We are their customers too. Is it worth giving so many people access to our water supply? What kind of background checks are being done on people who would have access to the tower? Is the $24,000 a year worth crushing property values of their customers? Putting customers at potential risk? Could they possibly have a heart? American Water, who is buying the property, frowns on attaching cell equipment to their structures. They don’t want to upset their customers! Wow, what a novel concept!

Our Hopewell Township Committee
Lastly, how about our Hopewell Township Committee!? The mayor and township engineer have been working with us tirelessly, but we need more. We need the rest of the committee to step up, bring their A game. Amend the ordinance to protect us. They represent us!

The one glimmer of hope or goodness in this whole mess is the unbelievable backing of our community. We filled the town hall with families to let T-Mobile and the township committee know that we need help and that we don’t want our community to be part of an involuntary health and real estate study!

So, can this happen in your community…you better check your ordinance! I think you will be surprised!

I still have hope that T-Mobile will do the right thing! They should take their time find a spot that meets their goals and is not in the most densely populated part of Hopewell. I’d love to see how many cell towers or antennas are in Mr. Lamb’s neighborhood…

Lisa

NOTICE TO ALL BRANDON FARMS PROPERTY OWNERS
THE BRANDON FARMS P.O.A. BOARD HAS BEEN CALLED UPON…

Due to the pending T-Mobile antenna on the water tower located in Brandon Farms, which will be in close proximity to our homes and our elementary school, the Brandon Farms P.O.A. Board has been requested by Hopewell Township to find a temporary location in the Brandon Farms community until a permanent, non-Brandon Farms location can be found.

The Brandon Farms P.O.A. Board has called a special meeting to discuss the possibility of granting a temporary location of a “Cell On Wheels” for T-Mobile somewhere in the Brandon Farms Community.

When the meeting is being held:
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
at Stony Brook Elementary School
at 7:30 PM

YOUR ATTENDANCE IS IMPERATIVE FOR THIS CRUCIAL DECISION!!!

Thank you for visiting Mobile Impact! My name is Lisa Hayden, I am a mother of three and live in Pennington, NJ. On October 18th of this year, my family and the surrounding families in my neighborhood of 3,000 people, were hit with fear. I’m going to call this fear “The T-Mobile Impact.” Let me elaborate… I live 180 feet from a water tower. This water tower is not a beautiful statue, but my husband and I decided that it would be alright to live by because in a nutshell “it would never physically do any harm to our family.” Now this harmless structure is going to be turned into a cell tower, thanks to T-Mobile.

The Danger of Cell Towers and Antennas
There is much controversy over the health effects from cell towers. As crazy as this sounds, The Telecommunications Act of 1996, prohibits local towns from not allowing cell companies to provide coverage based on health effects. My community has basically just become a guinea pig study that will take years to find out the possible effects on both our health and our property values.

We only found out about the antenna because T-Mobile had to apply for a variance and neighbors within 200 feet were notified about a hearing where a “preliminary” decision was going to be made about turning the water tower into a cell tower. When we got there we were shocked to find out that it was a done deal. We pleaded for the Hopewell Planning Board to give it time before passing the variance, but they unanimously passed it that night. It was heartbreaking. T-Mobile had lawyers and specialists and 2 years to prepare…. We had 10 days.

Researching Cell Radiation and Alerting Our Community
When we got home we started doing research and alerting the community. The entire community was very upset. Since then we have been in the paper, filled our town hall with over a hundred people, met with T-Mobile executives, etc. The bottom line is they want the antenna in before the end of the year. We pleaded with town officials to help. The mayor has been receptive, as well as the township engineer, but we need a full court press from the township committee. You see, T-Mobile got in because of a flaw or loophole in our ordinance. The ordinance prohibits cell towers in residential neighborhoods, but it has no limitations on pre-existing structures. T-Mobile exploited this loophole…

The kicker is that according to their web site, they do have coverage, but they want to be able to provide coverage in our basements and restaurants. They use 911 as a selling point. My daughter has, or should I say “had”, T-Mobile. She had fine reception in our home…

This is Affecting Our Lives
My neighbors and I are feeling this T-Mobile Impact so strongly. It interferes with every aspect of our lives, because we are afraid of the possible effects on our children. Not being able to protect your child from harm’s way is a very disabling feeling, to say the least.

Time is running out. The variance was memorialized last night, again unanimously. Do we have to sink our life savings into a lawyer? Our committee member David Sandahl says that we will lose again. Why do I have to defend myself and my family from my own elected officials? I believe they can help. One application in our township was pulled back from the township committee. It was near Rush Holt’s home, where T-Mobile has no coverage, go figure!

Another Meeting with T-Mobile…
Today we meet again with T-Mobile, since the township tells us that we have to handle it ourselves. I’m hoping T-Mobile can be patient and make a better business decision for the most densely populated section of our town. There is an elementary school approx. 800 feet from the tower, with over 500 children.

In closing, T-Mobile would do a great service by finding another appropriate location and I think the community would be grateful. Right now I don’t think too many people will ever use their service in our community. As a consumer and a mother, I like to give my business to people who appreciate it, not people whose actions might negatively impact my family’s quality of life.

I will be writing more posts soon. Please check back often or just subscribe to our RSS feed. We appreciate any help you can offer…

Lisa