June 26, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 3 Mahwah Two new monopole tenants being sought by Frank J. McMahon The Mahwah Township Council recently authorized Business Administrator Brian Campion, Municipal Clerk Kathy Coletta, and Township Attorney Andrew Fede to prepare the necessary specifications to obtain bids for the construction of a 30-foot extension of the township’s existing 120foot monopole to permit two new locations for wireless communications tenants. The monopole is located on the Richard J. Martel Municipal Center property on Corporate Drive south of the driveway leading to the township’s senior center, overlooking the Stryker Orthopedics commercial property, and opposite the Homewood Suites Hotel side of the property. The monopole is leased by Cingular Wireless PC, LLC, which entered into a 10year agreement with the township in September 2007. That lease permits the township to grant to other tenants the rights of access to the leased property and to add more tenants to the monopole. Campion recently advised the council that the township has received inquiries from entities seeking to co-locate equipment on the leased property and the monopole, and to extend the monopole’s height to accommodate the additional users. According to the council’s resolution authorizing the bidding process, one of the two additional wireless tenants would build and pay for the extension. When the Mahwah Council approved the award of a bid to Cingular Wireless to install a cellular monopole on municipal property, the annual lease Cingular agreed to pay the township was $40,000 and it was expected that additional revenue might be obtained from other wireless communications companies who opt to co-locate on this monopole. Campion told the council that a minimum bid of $30,000 per year would be set for each of the new tenants, and the township would have the right to reject all bids if necessary. According to Campion, the monopole currently addresses Cingular’s dead spots on Corporate Drive north and on Route 17, but does not provide additional service over the ridge to the west of Corporate Drive. Several years ago, the township adopted a zoning ordinance that permitted monopoles only on property owned by the township. According to that ordinance, monopoles are considered conditional uses in certain industrial zones, but are prohibited in residential zones. Kids go to the zoo Kindergarten students from Mahwah’s Ridge School recently visited Van Saun Park Zoo to learn about the animals and their habitats. Pictured are Kevin, Oliver Eli, Elliot, Alex, Gavin, Matthew, and Bradey.