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.
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 