Council wraps up 2002 with final Friday morning meeting
Ordinance passes
to encourage aesthetically pleasing cell towers
By Karl Vilacoba
Staff Writer

The Brick Township Council ended 2002 with a final Friday morning meeting that served to wrap up a series of business items.

The majority of the council’s final 12 resolutions were voted on in one block. Only a resolution to excuse at least eight consecutive meeting absences of Councilman Anthony Shupin, due to health reasons, elicited any significant discussion.

Councilman Stephen Acropolis said Shupin has performed admirably in so many roles for the township over the years that the need to vote to excuse him was a "slap in the face." Acropolis, citing the hypothetical possibility of Shupin’s retirement from council duty in the new year, wondered aloud if the action could pave the way for the council to appoint an incumbent before the upcoming elections.

Other members of the council pointed out that because Shupin’s absences were due to legitimate health reasons, excusing them was no more than a matter of standard procedure. Shupin remained silent during the brief discussion and declined to vote on the matter.

One ordinance passed on second reading was designed to regulate wireless telecommunication towers and antennas. The ordinance suggests 10 ways for new structures to be built in a manner that is least disruptive to the community.

A first reading on the ordinance was held during the council’s Nov. 26 meeting.

Under the ordinance, any new towers are encouraged to be built in nonresidential areas. When possible, the ordinance calls for such structures to be "multiplexed" or "co-located," technical terms which describe an arrangement where additional antennas are attached to pre-existing towers.

Applicants for any new structures will be required to show the respective land-use board that they have exhausted all possible avenues for sharing space on existing towers or antenna locations.

"No application will be entertained unless the applicant proposing the new equipment demonstrates that, despite reasonable efforts, it is not practicable to acquire the necessary rights or permission" to install their antennas on existing towers, according to the ordinance. Brick also reserves the right to hire a professional engineer to review the information provided at the applicants’ expense.

The ordinance also encourages "users of towers and antennas to configure them in a way that minimizes the adverse visual impact ... through careful design, sitting, landscape screening and innovative camouflage techniques."

As examples, the document suggests clock towers, bell steeples, light poles and man-made trees as plausible camouflage.

The council will meet next at noon on New Year’s Day for its re-organization. At that meeting, a new council president will be selected as well as other appointments.

Noting that it was his last meeting as council president, Steven Cucci offered thanks and congratulations to the administration and council for their work over the year.