A cell phone tower has been proposed for a group of baseball fields in Bristol Borough.
The 123-foot-pole with a three-directional antenna on top has been proposed for the Bristol Borough Little League complex off Jefferson Avenue and Garden Street. Verizon is behind the plan and would rent the property from the borough.
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Officials from Verizon said during Monday’s Council meeting that the tower would be to add capacity to the network in the borough. With the advent of mobile data and streaming services, the carrier needs more capacity to serve users.
The proposal presently consists of Verizon adding a 18-foot by 24-foot fenced complex in the rear of the baseball fields against the former Keystone Lighting Corporation property. The tower will have two equipment cabinets at their base and a diesel backup generator.
“A facility like this at a park is pretty commonplace,” one of the Verizon officials said.
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The company said the tower will comply with Federal Communications Commission rules and exposure safety limits.
“Some people have expressed concern that living, working, or going to school near a cell phone tower might increase the risk of cancer or other health problems. At this time, there is very little evidence to support this idea,” according to the American Cancer Society.
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Bristol Borough Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe said the borough and Verizon have explored other sites, but the baseball fields appears to provide the best location to serve customers. Currently, the borough is served by towers in Burlington, New Jersey and ones that surround it in Bristol Township.
Verizon said the tower could become available for additional carriers to add their antennas in the future.
Council members suggested several other locations for the tower, including closer to the woods at the baseball fields. The location is bit further away from bulk of the fields.
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Councilperson Tony Devine said that wanted the borough to continue discussions with Verizon on the tower and its location.
“If we’re going to do it, we’re going to make sure it’s 100 percent safe,” DiGuiseppe said.
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Borough officials will set up additional meetings with Verizon.
