HILLSDALE — Council members expect a robust discussion with Verizon Communications officials at the March 10 council meeting on whether placing a 150-foot cell tower at Stonybrook Swim Club is the best option for improving cell service in town.
At the Feb. 10 meeting, the council approved a $4,500 contract with Pier Four Enterprises LLC, a telecommunications consultant based in East Hanover, to prepare a report on cellular coverage and recommend options to improve service in the borough’s northeast section.
Mayor Michael Sheinfield told Pascack Press on March 3 that the Pier Four study “will inform” the council’s ultimate decision and was expected to arrive before the March 10 meeting.
As of March 3, however, Sheinfield said the borough had not yet received the study.
The council meets March 10 and March 17 at 7 p.m. Meetings are livestreamed on YouTube and archived on the borough website.
“We want to be able to ask knowledgeable questions about what all of our options are at this point to improve (cell) service when we meet with Verizon,” Sheinfield said. He said the Pier Four study should provide data on what option would best improve service.
The area with poor coverage includes parts of Piermont Avenue, the area around Pascack Valley High School and Meadowbrook Elementary School, and the section bordering River Vale, local officials have said.
Residents have said the spotty coverage raises public safety concerns, with first responders sometimes unable to communicate with residents. Others have said remote work is hampered by intermittent or nonexistent service.
Some residents near the proposed tower site have questioned whether radio-frequency emissions could affect health or safety, and others have raised concerns about locating a large tower near single-family homes and multifamily complexes.
At two February meetings, dozens of residents questioned whether the borough needs a 150-foot tower and asked whether coverage could be improved by a nearby tower at River Vale’s new Public Safety Complex.
At the Feb. 10 meeting, council members also raised questions about possible alternatives, including reducing the proposed tower height to 120 feet and whether smaller facilities, including microtowers, could address coverage gaps.
Administrator Mike Ghassali said at that meeting that Verizon often conducts studies to determine coverage shortfalls. Sheinfield said Verizon would be unlikely to pursue a project that could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars if it would not improve service.
For background, see “Yes to cellular study: council eyes tower at Stonybrook,” by Michael Olohan, Feb. 14, 2026.