Washington Township Cell Tower Contracts Finalized

The planned cell tower at the Washington Township Municipal Complex is now really close to being built, according to Township Attorney Kenneth Poller.

Poller said that he had finalized the leases with Verizon and AT&T Monday for the 120-foot tower.

"We're right on the verge of getting this thing done," he said.

Poller also said that the phone companies had agreed to let the township's emergency services put their own antenna on the pole in the future. Officials have been discussing upgrades to the Police Department's communication equipment.

Township officials also finally settled on the tower's color — galvanized steel — as was recommended by both their engineer and Verizon's engineer. They had previously been planning to paint the tower, possibly a shade of blue.

Before the tower can be built, three environmental monitoring wells will have to be moved. The Council will be splitting the cost 50-50 with the two phone companies and officials approved an ordinance Monday appropriating $30,000 for the project. 

Once the tower is up, the township will receive about $80,000 per year total from the phone companies, with the amount increasing slightly each year.

The 21-antenna tower will be located in a 68-by-28-foot area behind the flag pole. It will be surrounded by an 8-foot white vinyl fence. There will be a small building inside the fence used to house equipment for the two companies, and room for a second small building if more carriers are added to the tower in the future.

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