The final stretch? Mahwah cell tower expected to be 'powered up' soon

Marsha A. Stoltz, NorthJersey.com
Updated ·3 min read

MAHWAH — Township and Rockland Electric authorities say they expect the permanent Fire Company 3 cellular monopole off Rozanski Lane to be "powered up" soon.

"We are estimating approximately two weeks before the first safety tests are completed," Rockland Electric spokesman Michael Donovan said. "Then our line crews will connect the service to the grid."

But that does not mean phone companies will immediately begin transmitting from the permanent tower, said Township Administrator Benjamin Kezmarsky.

Temporary (left) and permanent (right) cell towers at Fire Company 3 in Mahwah.
Temporary (left) and permanent (right) cell towers at Fire Company 3 in Mahwah.

"They are now waiting for the OK from Rockland Electric to cut the power over to the permanent tower," Kezmarsky said. "At that time the temporary tower where Verizon is located will be powered by the new tower. Once the permanent power is turned on, the process can commence for Verizon and T-Mobile to begin the installation of their equipment on the permanent tower."

Kezmarsky said the delivery and installation of the pole's transformer had to wait for "trenching and running of power lines." But neither Donovan nor Kezmarsky provided details about the steps involved in constructing a tower that cleared its last approval hurdle from the Department of Environmental Protection in September 2022.

Long time coming

Residents and carriers have been pressing since 2005 for a tower to address a 2-mile-wide dead zone on the New York state border. After myriad denials, the Township Council approved a tower at Rozanski Lane in September 2019. A temporary cell tower was activated in May 2021, and work on the permanent tower began in February 2023.

Though better than no tower, the temporary tower received mixed reviews from residents depending on which carrier they use and where they live. All have expressed hope that the 183-foot permanent tower, 25 feet taller than the temporary one, will reach farther and support more carriers. But again, reception depends on which carriers erect aerials on the pole, as well as the distance from the pole, tree coverage and changes in topography.

The permanent tower is designed to accommodate four carriers. AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile have signed up. It is unclear if a fourth carrier has joined.

The project has taken years to get here.

  • January 2020: Masonicus Road residents filed hearing requests with the state Department of Environmental Protection, claiming a second wetlands area on the firehouse property was ignored in a study of the site. The DEP took until June 2020 to review and deny the request.

  • June 2020: Hired in September 2019 to sign up carriers for the tower, consultant Wireless Edge was declared in default nine months later after failing to attract any carriers.

  • October 2020: FSD Enterprises — hired in August to replace Wireless Edge — announced it had secured carrier contracts to support a tower.

  • March 2021: Aspen Court residents filed a lawsuit saying the township did not have permission to use their easement, on which the fire company's access road is built, to transport equipment for installation of the tower. A $30,000 settlement was reached in December 2021.

  • April 2021: A Masonicus Road resident temporarily halted installation of power lines across his property, saying the township had failed to pay him or produce the necessary wetlands permit.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: The final stretch? Mahwah cell tower expected to be 'powered up' soon