Allegheny Township approves cell tower near Blair Farm

A communications tower soon will be raised in Allegheny Township.

Supervisors voted unanimously Monday night to allow Verizon Wireless to install a communications tower on property owned by Edwin and Jill Morrison, also known as the Blair Farm.

The township held a public hearing on Jan. 13 to take testimony from residents. Many who spoke that night were against the tower, but supervisors thought there was little they could do since the applicant appeared to satisfy all zoning requirements.

“We are legally permitted under the zoning laws to have this on our land,” Jill Morrison said. “We meet every criteria of the ordinance’s approved uses.”

Joseph Perotti of the Pittsburgh law firm Sittig & Cortese LLC said last month that Verizon satisfied the township’s code regarding communications towers, which is generally more strict than other communities. Towers normally have to be located at least 250 feet from any homes. In Allegheny Township, they must be at least 500 feet away and the Blair Farm location is more than 1,000 feet from the closest school.

The township placed conditions on Verizon that trees must be planted to camouflage the tower and if Verizon or subsequent carriers no longer use the tower that it be dismantled.

Supervisors declined to place a condition that Verizon plant trees to cover the entire 195 feet of the tower under advice of Solicitor Bernie Mathews Jr.

Denying the application could have resulted in a court appeal that the township was unlikely to win and would have resulted in court costs, according to officials.

“I don’t think anyone in the township wants to spend money frivolously,” Supervisor Michael Korns said.

Township building renovations tabled

Supervisors voted to table construction bids for renovations and additions to the township building.

Township officials had hoped to award contracts to begin the process of expanding the building, but the bids came in too high for general construction, heating, ventilation and air conditioning updates, electrical work and plumbing.

“It was too high for us to proceed,” Township Manager Greg Primm said about the bidding. “We have time to evaluate this and we will meet with out architect.”

The township still plans to fix the aging roof on the township building.