AT&T cell tower gets supervisors' conditional go ahead

DINGMAN TOWNSHIP n Township Supervisors last Tuesday gave conditional approval for a new communications tower to be built in the Anderson Camps Subdivision on Springbrook Rd., just north of Route. I-84. The area where the new tower will be built will be leased from the Anderson Camps Subdivision. Sponsors said this should provide much needed increased transmission and reception for all cell phone users in the area. Verizon, Cingular and other cell company antennas will also be placed on the new AT&T tower. Conditions of approval included provision of a surety bond issued for the access road and that any engineering fees incurred by the Township must be paid in full. A revised plan will be submitted to the township planning commission for final approval. Planners earlier had recommended approval of the project. Separately, there was a discussion regarding an article that appeared in a newspaper last Sunday noting that Milford was on the list of towns that have an Emergency Operations Plan in place. The plan, dated 2003, included hazard identification, resources inventory, emergency phone numbers and shelters. Township Secretary Karen Kleist said Dingman would not be revealing its plans for prospective terrorists. In other business before the supervisors: a bid approval for 750 tons of anti-skid grit material for the upcoming winter was approved. There was only one bidder, and Eureka Stone Quarry of Milford was awarded the contract. Bill Mikulak Chief of the Dingmans Township Fire Department gave his Emergency services report. He reported that in the month of September there were five structure fires, one brush fire, five motor vehicle accidents, and two public safety calls. One of the motor vehicle accidents involved six passengers in which the car got tipped over during the accident, but all survived with only minor cuts and bruises, he said. There were also 51 medical emergencies, 15 in Lords Valley, 31 in Milford and the others in neighboring communities. The Dingman Township Fire department is expecting the arrival of a new ambulance by the end of the month and their next fire department breakfast will be held on Oct. 9. There were two lot improvement approvals, one in Crescent Lake and the other in Gold Key Lake. Another lot improvement in Conashaugh Lake was put on hold until a problem with the deeds gets cleared up.