Allegheny Township residents concerned about planned cell tower

Allegheny Township Supervisors tabled a decision Monday on the request by Verizon Wireless to install a communications tower near the Blair Farm barn on property owned by Edwin and Jill Morrison on Route 356.

Residents spoke for 90 minutes in opposition to the tower.

The cell tower location is permissible, but since it is in a R-2 zoning district, a request needs to be reviewed by township officials. In preparation for Monday’s meeting, Chairwoman Kathy Starr said the supervisors sent out 40 letters to every resident whose land would be affected by the new tower. Only one person responded negatively.

Starr thinks it is possible the majority of residents have no objection to the tower, and they just didn’t attend the meeting. Seven residents spoke at the meeting in opposition.

“It would clutter our environment. Just because it is lawful doesn’t mean it’s the right choice,” said resident Paulette Ceraso.

Resident Barbara Talmadge said she was concerned about health effects that would add to “the amount of radiation that we’re already receiving.”

Anthony Capone of Henderson Street echoed the others’ concerns about health issues and said he also doesn’t want to see a cell tower hampering his view from his front yard. Capone asked if there was an alternate location in the township where a tower could be erected “in a more secluded area.”

The Supreme Court has ruled that alleged health concerns and aesthetic reasons are not viable reasons for denying the construction of a tower, Starr said.

Site acquisition representative Jim Kopac said other properties did not meet zoning requirements and locating the tower elsewhere would defeat the purpose of remedying “dead spots.”

The federal Telecommunications Act of 1995 requires carriers such as Verizon to eliminate dead spots as much as possible.

Supervisors have 45 days to make a decision, though Starr said it likely won’t take that long. The township planning commission had unanimously approved the proposal in December.

Starr said that if the township does attempt to block Verizon from building the tower, she expects there will be legal ramifications. Verizon is trying to “fill the holes” in coverage areas, as mandated by federal law, and has significant funds invested in this project.

“If they took us to court, we would lose,” Starr said.

While the meeting’s attendees were very vocal and negative about the tower, there may not actually be a choice in the matter, Starr said. She said the township does not have “a legal leg to stand on.”

“We cannot legally, unless we’re willing to go to court and pay out lots of money, we cannot legally stop it,” she said. “They have zoned correctly and they have followed all the rules.”

Joseph Perotti of the Pittsburgh law firm Sittig Cortese LLC said Verizon satisfied the township’s code regarding communications towers — which is generally more strict than other communities. Starr said towers normally have to be located at least 250 feet from any homes. In Allegheny Township, they must be at least 500 feet away.

“We’re confident we have met the requirements,” Perotti said. “This will mean more coverage for Allegheny Township since we can fill more existing gaps.”

Perotti showed a map where cell calls are reportedly being dropped, particularly along Route 356.

The tower will be 195 feet tall, five feet less than the FAA’s requirements for a beacon light atop the tower.

George Guido is a freelance writer. Teghan Simonton is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Teghan at 724-226-4680, via email at tsimonton@tribweb.com or via Twitter @teghan_simonton.