Church Considered for 120-foot Cell Tower

T-Mobile Northeast LLC has commissioned site plans for the possible placement of a cell tower on the grounds of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 467 Grandview Ave.

However, the telecommunications company has not yet filed any plans with the township to construct the monopole in a neighborhood that is zoned residential.

Site plans drafted by French & Parrello Associates show the construction of a 120-foot tree pole that would be affixed with nine antennas to better serve T-Mobile's wireless customers, a representative said.

"In Wyckoff, we're currently exploring potential locations where residents would benefit from enhanced wireless coverage, so we can provide the reliable, high-quality service they rely on everyday to stay connected with friends, family and emergency services," said Jane Builder, T-Mobile's northeast senior manager of external affairs.

Plans show a 50-foot by 50-foot telecommunications compound with the pole affixed to a 4-foot by 20-foot concrete pad that also would contain three equipment cabinets. The installation would be shielded by an 8-foot chain link fence.

Additionally, the site plans show three areas surrounding the pole that are marked for "future lease by others."

Calls to St. Nicholas, the Metropolis of New Jersey and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America's Manhattan office were not returned as of Friday, although staff who answered the phone in all three locations had not heard of any plan to construct a cell tower at St. Nicholas.

Builder said such a monopole would help T-Mobile expand its residential network to provide better, more reliable coverage for subscribers. She would not say when the company may file plans with the township to seek the approvals that would be necessary to construct a cell tower in a residential neighborhood, but said T-Mobile is "eager to move forward on a proposal as soon as possible."

A cultural resource consulting firm, Richard Grubb & Associates Inc., had plans to conduct archaeological and architectural surveys of the area, as directed by the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office. Alana Knorr, an architectural historian with the firm, whose New Jersey headquarters is in Cranbury, contacted the Friends of Wyckoff and Wyckoff Historical Society by letter last month to ask for those organizations' assistance as the firm embarked on surveys.

"Please contact (Richard Grubb) if you are aware of locally identified historic resources on or near the project site or have comments on resources important to your community that you feel may be affected by the proposed project," Knorr wrote.

The architectural historian did not return requests for comment.

The Friends of Wyckoff's executive committee plans to meet next week to discuss the issue.