Cell Phone Tower on West 3rd?

Cell Phone Tower on West 3rd?

3/4/2021

I was walking with my little guy yesterday when a neighbor of our shop stopped me and asked what I knew about a cell phone tower coming to West 3rd Ave. I was sorry when I hadn’t heard about it. After a brief conversation, I had to know more. Here is a letter going around the neighborhood:

Dear West Third Avenue Neighbors,

We are writing to ask you to consider adding your name to a list of neighbors who are opposed to the installation of a small cell telecommunication tower adjacent to 139 West Third Ave. This installation will include a 45’-46’ utility pole with an antenna on top plus radio equipment housed in a concealing equipment shroud at a height of 12’. A representative of AT&T, speaking at the March 3^rd Borough meeting, indicated this tower was needed to ‘reduce the burden on customers in West Conshohocken’ who rely on cell service from towers on top of the Marriott Hotel. According to the detailed proposal available online (http://www.conshohockenpa.gov/media/61514/139-w-3rd.pdf), several variances are being requested by AT&T/Cingular Wireless because: 

1. Our block is zoned residential and does not allow telecommunication/cell towers;
2. Current zoning laws restrict towers closer than 500 ft from a property, and this one would be closer to properties;
3. Installation of a new utility pole and antenna does not meet set-back requirements; 
4. Towers require safety fencing and landscaping, so exemptions from these requirements are sought.

There are many reasons to be concerned about cellphone towers in residential neighborhoods, despite assurances about safety from cell service companies, because electromagnetic radiation has been linked to many harmful effects, and research is still ongoing in these areas. 

1. Health concerns– The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) identifies low levels of electromagnetic radiation as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”( https://www.iarc.who.int/pressrelease/iarc-classifies-radiofrequency-electromagnetic-fields-as-possibly-carcinogenic-to-humans/). Scientists don’t know everything about the effects of long-term exposure to people living near telecommunications installations, especially over months or years, but some effects have been documented including “headaches, skin rashes, sleep disturbances, depression, increased rates of suicide, concentration problems, dizziness, memory changes, increased risk of cancer, tremors, cognitive problems in children, and other neurophysiological effects” (Levitt & Lai, 2010; Meo, 2018, Moon, 2020).
2. Property values– The location of cell towers affects housing prices. The closer you are to a cell tower, the less your house is worth (Rajapaksa, 2018).
3. Safety issues– Cell Towers, which consists of an assemblage of multiple components, have been known to fail and collapse.

The association “Physicians for Safe Technology” (https://mdsafetech.org) emphasizes the looming public health hazard posed by rapid growth in technology without adequate safety regulation. Small cells can essentially put out the same radiation as larger macro cell towers. They advocate for a preventative ‘better safe than sorry’ approach when so many unacceptable risks to people are present (https://www.emfscientist.org).

Conshohocken has many commercial areas where small-cell towers could reasonably be installed to improve service, making the towers less of a threat to family homes, especially those with children. In fact, one small-cell tower already exists on Fayette St. near BMT bank. 

If you would like to join us in voicing your concern about locating this tower on W. 3^rd Ave, here’s what to do.

• Sign the form that came with your letter from Conshohocken Borough requesting to be a ‘party’ in the hearing on March 15. You will have no say in this matter unless you register as a ‘party.’ You can do this by mail or by email. The requests must be received by the zoning committee by MARCH 10. If you have questions, let us know.
• Log into the meeting on computer or phone on March 15. You don’t need to speak during the meeting unless you want to do so, but you need to ‘second’ the presentation that discusses the reasons for opposing these variances.
• Please let us know by phone or email if you agree to join this petition when you sign and send in your form so we can go forward as a group. 

We’re happy to answer any questions or provide background information included in this letter. Don’t hesitate to contact us. We need your voice!!! 

Thank you from your neighbors,

Karen Chmielewski Trish Broderick

139 West Third 135 West Third

chmielewskikb@yahoo.com pcbrod@gmail.com

215-679-4243 215-530-6984

I will avoid sharing a personal opinion as I think the residents behind the letter made a number of great and valid points.