Background
Background
Verizon approached Belmar Council with a presentation over Zoom in August 2020. During this presentation, they outlined a plan to erect at least 20 cell towers on Ocean Avenue in Belmar, with various options for the east and west side of the street, depicted in computer-generated images like those below.
On January 13, 2021, Verizon filed an application with Belmar to obtain necessary permits and approvals to begin the project. Under the terms of the federal Telecommunications Act, Belmar had 90 days to either approve or deny the permits. On April 13, 2021, that deadline passed. In May, Verizon filed a complaint in federal court against the town for failure to meet the legally imposed deadline, and in August 2022, Belmar agreed to settle, finalizing the agreement on August 15, 2022. You can read the settlement here.
The Council signed the settlement in November 2022. Per the settlement agreement, Verizon could begin work in December 2022 — a date that has already passed.