Public hearing is set for Cingular cell tower proposal

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Public hearing is set for Cingular proposal

The public will get its say Sept. 25 on a proposal to allow Cingular to build a cell tower behind the Cranbury Firehouse on South Main Street.

The public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. in Town Hall.

The township wants to have a cell tower built in the center of town to boost communication in the western portion of the township. Cingular has offered to pay the township $113,536 over five years to lease the land. Sprint also submitted a bid, but Township Attorney Trishka Waterbury said Monday that Cingular offered to pay the township more.

In addition, Zoning Board of Adjustment Chairman Dale Smith said Monday that Sprint is also seeking to build a tower on land owned by Art Hasselbach on Route 130.

Ms. Waterbury said the township must award a contract Monday, but may decide not to if, after reviewing the proposal, Cingular has not adhered to all of the township's specifications.
The proposed tower behind the firehouse would replace the existing lattice tower and would carry the township's existing emergency communications. At least two companies would co-locate on the tower.

The township specifications require that the tower is located within a 30-foot radius of the current tower and is no more than 130-feet high. It must also be a three-legged lattice structure. The existing tower would be taken down either before or after the new tower goes up, depending on the new tower's exact location.

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