Verizon Proposes Seven Temporary 5G Node Towers for Ortley Beach, North Beaches

A small cell 5G node installed along Route 35 in Lavallette, March 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Verizon has proposed seven temporary 5G “small cell” nodes that will operate for the upcoming summer season in Ortley Beach.

Cellco Partnership, the corporate entity that manages Verizon’s towers, has filed an application with the Toms River Township planning board for the installation of the one standalone tower and six towers to be placed on top of an existing building. The nodes will be active from May 1 to Oct. 31.

According to the two separate planning board applications, on 70-foot temporary tower to be located at 3131 Route 35 North, a private property in the Ocean Beach section that houses a marine services business. The tower will be ballast-mounted, similar to the manner in which a solar panel is mounted to a rooftop. The Ocean Beach application requests the board grant variances for minimum front yard setback (20 feet required, less than 20 feet existing); minimum side yard setback (10 feet required, 6 and 6.5 feet existing) and a sidewalk waiver.

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The remaining six nodes – technically part of a different application for legal purposes – would all be installed on top of an existing condominium complex in Ortley Beach. The application proposes six antenna arrays at 1 Second Avenue, known as the Waldorf Condos. No towers will be built at the Second Avenue location as the nodes will be fitted to the roof.

A small cell 5G node installed along Route 35 in Lavallette, March 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

The Ortley Beach application requests variances for front yard setback (35 feet required; 13.5 feet existing front yard setback; 20 feet proposed front yard setback from Second Avenue for antennas and 0.5 feet for equipment); permission to locate temporary equipment cabinets in a front yard where accessory structures are not permitted; maximum building height (35 feet maximum permitted; 36.5 feet existing); minimum rear yard setback (20 feet required; 1.8 feet existing); and minimum accessory rear yard setback (15 feet required; 0 feet existing and proposed).

Both applications will be considered at the board’s April 20 meeting, which will be held at 6 p.m. at the township municipal complex on Washington Street.