Friday, October 2, 2020
From calls for civil disobedience to comparisons with the Baltimore Colts leaving town in the dead of night, Dewey Beach residents and officials united in opposition to the installation of 5G poles along the town’s coastline during a March 2 public hearing on an ordinance to regulate wireless facilities.
Mayor Dale Cooke said the town has no desire for the poles, but they are mandated by state and federal regulations. The town has contacted the governor, and state and local officials to fight the installation, he said.
However, most streets in Dewey are controlled by the state, which is unlike any other town in Delaware, Cooke said. When the town learned about the installations through Verizon, and not the state, Cooke said, the town immediately called the state to put a stop to it.
The opposition follows a trend among Dewey Beach, Del., residents who are frustrated the town has little control over wireless infrastructure installed in areas maintained by the Delaware Department of Transportation.
Poles must be at least 50 feet from the midpoint of a beach entrance.
New structures must be at least 100 feet from each other.
Wireless companies should first consider installing equipment on existing utility or light poles, known as colocating.
The only changes to these standards were a clarification that new poles must be 100 feet from each other and that the distancing requirements did not apply if a company wished to colocate its equipment near existing wireless technology.
While the Town Council is hopeful that the ordinance and standards will help prevent more poles that take away from the “small beach town aesthetic,” right now telecommunications companies still go through DelDOT for permitting and approval.
Who cares about 5G at the beach? Dewey residents still concerned despite new ordinance msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.