HILLSDALE—Acknowledging reservations, the Borough Council voted, 5-1, on Feb. 10 to approve a cellular coverage survey of the town’s northeast section, with a report due ahead of a planned March 10 meeting with Verizon Communications.
The March 10 council meeting is set to include several Verizon officials to discuss a proposed 150-foot-tall cell tower at Stonybrook Swim Club. Councilman John Ruocco opposed moving forward with the study at this time, saying he favored a survey during summer months. He noted the consultant also recommended studying coverage when trees are leafed out.
After debate over whether a winter study could skew results because leafless trees do not potentially interfere with signals, the council deadlocked, 3-3, and Mayor Michael Sheinfield cast the deciding vote to proceed.
Council approved a $4,500 contract with Pier Four Enterprises LLC of East Hanover for the cellular coverage study. Several council members said the consultant should also recommend independent alternatives to a 150-foot tower and outline other ways to improve service.
Pier Four’s scope of work calls for meeting with the borough to review coverage concerns and specific locations where service is lacking, and to review any sites the borough has already considered. The consultant would then reach out to a cellular provider to discuss goals for improving coverage in the borough, request drive-test data recorded in the summer or early fall months to demonstrate the coverage needs, and discuss possible locations and designs to address those needs.
The consultant would also review potential solutions with the borough and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.
The contract states the work is expected to take 20 to 25 hours at $180 per hour, depending in part on cooperation from the cellular service provider. The contract adds that if the effort required exceeds the estimate, the borough will be notified.
The contract lists Glenn Pierson, principal and RF engineer with Pier Four, as the consultant.
Council members raised questions about options to improve coverage, including lowering the proposed tower height from 150 feet to 120 feet, how River Vale’s new cell tower could affect coverage in Hillsdale’s northeast area, and whether smaller facilities could be used to address gaps.
Administrator Mike Ghassali said 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.
Councilman Anthony DeRosa raised concerns about conducting a study when trees are leafless, but said he wanted the borough to hear from another source about its options before meeting with Verizon.
Ghassali said the consultant will examine “multiple options” to improve service, and those findings can be discussed with both the consultant and Verizon. He added that both firms that submitted proposals had prior working relationships with Verizon, as well as other carriers.
Councilman Clemente Osso said a cell tower lease at Stonybrook could “reduce flexibility” for the borough if the town later wants to do something else with the swim club property. Sheinfield said wherever a new tower is placed, there are no guarantees about what might happen to a site in the future. “We’re not the ones who have to be futurists,” Sheinfield said.
Several council members said the cell study should provide strong alternatives to a 150-foot tower at Stonybrook. Others noted that the town’s existing cell towers have not been a source of complaints, and that improved coverage could enhance property values rather than harm them.
Residents at the Jan. 20 town hall meeting called for alternatives to a cell tower at Stonybrook, though most speakers publicly supported the need for improved service, including for emergency responders such as police, fire and EMS.
The Stonybrook site remains under conditional approval. On Dec. 9, the council authorized negotiations on a lease with Verizon, subject to four conditions before final execution: a town hall (held Jan. 20), a follow-up council vote after public comment, required land use approvals, and the borough’s ability to require reasonable site layout revisions that do not materially affect the bid.
Verizon was the sole bidder, offering $48,012 for the first year of a five-year lease, with four additional five-year renewal options.