Midland Park December 1, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Sprint/Nextel Corp. of Mahwah is seeking approval from the Midland Park Planning Board to locate 4th Generation dish antennas on the borough’s cellular tower at the DPW garage on Greenwood Avenue. Paradoxically, however, an additional dish is already on the tower, and Sprint officials at the planning board meeting had no knowledge of its being there. Sprint’s architect said, however, that the dish would have to be removed and side mounted once the application is approved. Sprint, which originally built the 150-ft. tower at the DPW site, proposes to add three panel antennas at the 148ft. level and three dish antennas , two of them below the existing antennas. The dish antennas will be side-mounted to eliminate the need for a height variance. The company still needs a variance for its new equipment cabinet, since its proposed platform and extended walkway of 5.10 ft. by 19.3 ft. exceeds existing ordinances. Enginner Juan Torres of Clearwire Communications in Rochelle Park said that the proposed 4G service is 10 times faster in handling data, with wider channels connecting the user units to the antennas. He also said the new service will provide coverage where gaps now exist. He said available software programs consider the terrain and the height Sprint eyes bringing 4G service to borough of the tower to predict future coverage. David Collins, a radio frequency compliance expert, said that the proposed antennas require little power to be effective and are therefore exempt from FCC regulations on radio wave exposure. “Ours is well below the maximum level permitted. It is almost non-existent,” he said, noting that the exposure would be 1/3 of one percent, while a 7 percent reading would be acceptable at 180 feet. Planner Kathryn Gregory said that the additional visual impact of the new antennas would be minimal, since the tower is already existing. Plane Street resident Ben Mena, however, called the existing tower an “eyesore”. He asked the board to require the company to convert to an evergreen-type tower so as to protect property values in the area. “An evergreen tower should have been required originally,” he said. The applicant will return at the board’s December meeting with updated plans to continue its application review. The DPW tower is the only telecommunications tower located on borough property. It can technically accommodate five locators. It now has Verizon and ATT in addition to Sprint and generates more than $115,000 a year for the borough. T-Mobile has been awarded a bid to become the fourth locator, but the company has yet to sign the contract. The borough had to take T-Mobile to court to enforce the terms of the bid award. Gay-Straight Alliance Club approved at MPHS The Midland Park Board of Education has granted its approval to a Gay-Straight Alliance Club at Midland Park High School. The club was suggested by a student at the Oct. 24 school board meeting. The student cited the recent suicide of a college-age Ridgewood resident who had been harassed for his sexual orientation. The student believed the club would help others who might feel alienated. The request was referred to a committee, which, in turn, recommended the club join a national network that will assist in getting the new group off the ground. “It was a good club whether it was recommended in the state guidelines or not. It would help in the recent demand for anti-bullying legislation and programs, said school trustee and Board Vice President Bill Sullivan.” Twenty-four students have already expressed interest in joining the organization. The board is currently looking for an advisor for the club. 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