Proposed cell tower draws wrath of CNHS neighbors
BY TOYNETT HALL Staff Writer
The final chapter of a planned cell tower being installed near Colts Neck High School may not be written yet.

After listening to comments made by residents during a recent meeting of the Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools JamesWasser said he would meet with Colts Neck municipal officials and representatives of Verizon.

At a Dec. 17 meeting of the FRHSD board held at Howell High School, residents objected to the board's contractual agreement with Verizon to install a 130- foot tall cell tower on the premises of Colts Neck High School at Route 537 and Five Points Road, Colts Neck.

The residents complained about not knowing of the deal, they questioned possible health risks that could emanate from the cellular communications tower, and they objected to what they called an eyesore.

According to Wasser, in October 2006 representatives of Verizon telecommunications were looking to place a cell tower in the area near Colts Neck High School. They subsequently approached the board with a proposal. In January 2007 the board entered into formal discussions with the company, before awarding a contract on April 23, Wasser said.

Wasser said the agreement with Verizon was done in plain view. He said the board went to the state Department of Education to get approval of the deal before issuing the company a unanimous approval.

According toWasser, at a time of flat or slowing increasing state aid, administrators are looking for ways to generate revenue. The contract with Verizon is a renewable pact which would gross $35,000 for the district each year.

"This was an opportunity to generate income and offset some of the district's cost," Wasser said.

Colts Neck resident Claire Dowrie called the deal the wrong move for the FRHSD. She said her property abuts the school property and said the proposed tower would be 200 feet from her home.

"There are better places for towers and better ways to raise money," she said, adding, "This is fraud. This is misappropriation. I don't see what cell towers have to do with education. This is not for schools, not for education. This will be an aesthetic monster and will devalue my property and the health" of the community.

T

his board has shown a "lack of forethought

and callous disregard" for the neighbors, Dowrie said.

Resident Kevin Skudera shared Dowrie's sentiment and told the FRHSD officials, "you have alienated yourselves with this community. You should drop this tower like a bad call."

He said if the board pursues the deal with Verizon, "you should force them to create a solution. Create towers that are not so visible."

Wasser listened to the residents and said he wants to reach out to Verizon and to the Colts Neck community to try and accommodate and resolve everyone's concerns.

"We want to make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible," he said.

Wasser said the proposed tower would be at the far end of the high school property, at the back end of the baseball field. He addressed the residents' concerns about possible health risks and said, "There was never any data presented that has shown any possible safety hazards. If they were shown I would have never agreed to it."

Although there is a contract between the FRHSD and Verizon, Wasser said the telecommunications company now has to go before the township in order to be permitted to place the tower at the designated location.

Wasser said he did not anticipate the board breaking its contract with Verizon.

Colts Neck resident Abe Daudelin listened to the comments from the residents and watched the reaction of the board members. He told the board members not to forget who they serve.

"I know you have a difficult job, but your allegiance should be to your constituency, the people in the community whom you represent," Daudelin said. "Education and the good welfare of those people should be your objective. You should all make sure the actions you take are in the best interest of that."

Daudelin reminded the board members to "bear in mind who you represent. Don't let the people down."