Neighbors in Middlesex Township are celebrating the end of a proposal to build a cell tower at the intersection of Route 8 and Laurel Lane, which is adjacent to a number of homes.

The township's zoning hearing board voted to not allow a zoning variance which would have allowed the tower on the property. 

The property is owned by Don Marshall, who is one of the township's supervisors. He does not serve on the zoning board which, barring a successful appeal to the county, has final say on the variance. 

Every neighbor who spoke at the meeting was against the Verizon cell tower, which would have been built by Vertical Bridge.

Neighbors were concerned about home values going down, noise, and health impacts.

"I just feel like there isn't enough distance between homes and where the tower is going to be placed," said Pammie Erskine, who lives next door to the proposed site

A representative for Vertical Bridge explained they need to build the tower in or close to the site because it is in the center of other existing cell towers. Responding to the concerns, he said that bad cell coverage can drive down land values, adding he did not believe there were serious health risks that came from living near the tower. 

According to the American Cancer Society, there is no strong evidence to say RF waves from cell phone towers can cause health effects people can notice. Most experts say more research is needed, per the American Cancer Society. 

"Some residents made very good points this evening," said zoning hearing board chair Brendan Ryan. "We listen to them, take them into consideration, but ultimately we have to go by, you know what we have to go by what our zoning ordinance has to say."