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Jul 25, 2007 5:55 am US/Eastern
Church May Erect Cross-Shaped Cell Phone Tower
Pequannock Township Congregation Weighs Proposal With Verizon
by Jay Dow
PEQUANNOCK TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) ―
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The proposal from Verizon Wireless would involve building a 100-foot tower topped by a cross, bearing cell phone antennae.
CBS
A local church along with the help of Verizon Wireless may take cell phone tower development to a new and technologically divine level.
You've likely seen them erected somewhere along the side of the road or hidden with a grouping of trees, but it's hard to miss those tall cell phone towers, usually identifiable by their triangle-shaped platforms, planted among our communities. And it's definitely not often that a town is forced to balance its respect for a religious symbol against a cell phone company's reliability, but that's exactly what's happening in Pequannock Township.
At Bible Christian Fellowship Church, there is a proposal to develop a 100-foot cell phone tower that would be disguised as a cross and provided by Verizon. Not everyone in the town has dialed into the idea.
"As a Christian, I wouldn't want to do anything that would denigrate the idea of a cross," said Pequannock resident Walt Coyne.
Digg This Story!Whether it's offensive or functional, the fact is the township is well aware the tower would most certainly stick out on a residential block.
"There's a big difference between a man made structure such as this and natural vegetation such as trees," said Pequannock Township Councilman Eddie Englebart.
Church officials tell CBS 2 HD that while they are taking into consideration whether their neighbors will approve of the 100-foot cell phone tower on the property, they are ultimately concerned about whether it's the right decision for the church, and the members who attend services here. They would not, however, disclose how much money they stand to make from the Verizon proposal.
As for the tower itself, Verizon Wireless spokesman David Samberg tells CBS 2 HD that their locations are not chosen randomly, but are specific to network coverage needs. In his statement, he says cross-like towers don't "happen that often, and it's not a growing trend. In fact, stealth antennae are more expensive to build. But it's something we always consider when it makes sense."
In the end, that's exactly what the future of the cross-tower rests on: dollars and sense.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
