Cell Tower on U. Saucon Property Could Improve So. Lehigh Service

Upper Saucon Township supervisors learned more about a Verizon proposal to build a 120-foot cell phone tower on the municipal complex property at 5500 Camp Meeting Road, Center Valley, at a meeting last month.

The proposed monopole tower would be built near the northeast corner of the public works department garage, township manager Tom Beil explained.

"I don’t think there is a downside [to the proposal]," he told supervisors. "I think it will have very minimal impact on the residents who live around the township complex."

Beil, however, recommended that a letter be sent to nearby residents to apprise them of the proposal for the tower.

A public information meeting about the proposal is also likely to be scheduled.

Verizon Wireless representatives who attended the meeting told supervisors that the tower near Camp Meeting Road would help improve wireless service along the Route 309 corridor and at DeSales University.

The heavily traveled commercial corridor and the nearby university have strained the local network and created a need for an "infill" tower, which the Upper Saucon monopole would be, they said.

If the construction of the tower is ultimately approved, after negotiations with Verizon take place, Beil said Upper Saucon will be paid a land use fee.

The cell tower could come online in late 2014 or early 2015 and may have the potential for colocation—meaning other cell phone providers could make use of it for their networks by paying a fee—the Verizon representatives said.

Patch file photo