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Cell Phone Tower Information

UPDATE: January 2025 

Montgomery County Open Space Board review of Penllyn Woods tower  

In 1994, Lower Gwynedd purchased Penllyn Woods Park in part with grant funds from Montgomery County. The grant required that no “change of use” be made to the Park. The Montgomery County Open Space Board, an advisory committee to the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, is evaluating whether the proposed cell tower constitutes a change in use of that Park. The Open Space Board will make a recommendation to the Board of Commissioners, which makes the final decision. Township officials and Rise Up representatives presented information to the Open Space Board in November and December, and will return again on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 4:00 pm, to explain that certain areas of the Township have limited or no cell coverage, and that the proposed tower will not affect the Park’s scenic or recreational uses, and therefore is not an impermissible change in use.   

Next Steps 

If the County Commissioners find that the cell tower proposed for the Park is not an impermissible change in use, the Lower Gwynedd Township Board of Supervisors will then need to approve a lease with Rise Up for the tower and seek required approval from the Orphans’ Court Division of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas. 

The Board of Supervisors will also consider an amendment to the Township’s zoning ordinance permitting Rise Up to construct a second cell tower on the former Andy’s Diner property on Bethlehem Pike, which is necessary to completely close the gap in coverage. 

 

Addressing the Gap in Cell Service in Lower Gwynedd Township 

In 2022, over 100 residents appealed to the Lower Gwynedd Township Board of Supervisors for help addressing the gap in cell service in the community.  After exploring options, the Board agreed to work with Rise Up Towers, which specializes in developing cell tower sites on government property.  Rise Up confirmed there is a significant gap in cell coverage in Lower Gwynedd and reached out to carriers to evaluate interest in filling that gap – in other words seeking a carrier that would pay for installation of a cell tower.   

July 2023 Cell Tower Presentation 

Rise Up Towers presented information at a well-attended public meeting of the Board of Supervisors about the gap in cell coverage in Lower Gwynedd. Because of the extent of the coverage gap, their recommended solution involved the installation of 2 potential cell towers – one next to the fire substation adjacent to the Township Building and one in a maintenance area behind the baseball fields in Penllyn Woods Park. 

Proposed Tower on Bethlehem Pike 

The Supervisors examined both of Rise Up’s proposed locations closely. Because of the potential impact on nearby residences, the Board asked Rise Up to find an alternative location for the tower by the Township Building. After an extensive search, Rise Up located and in 2024 leased a portion of privately-owned commercial property – the former location of Andy’s Diner – on Bethlehem Pike. This location still needs zoning approval from the Township and various approvals from other regulatory agencies. 

Proposed Tower in Penllyn Woods Park 

The proposed tower in Penllyn Woods Park would be constructed in an existing gravel maintenance area where park construction materials are currently stored. As a first step in the review process, the Supervisors considered an amendment to a “Voluntary Declaration of Conservation Easement” regarding use of the Park.  The Supervisors conducted a public process while considering this amendment, advertising the proposed amendment, sending notices to the community, and conducting public hearings on November 14 and November 28, 2023. Rise Up presented testimony about the need for the tower in Penllyn Woods Park and agreed, at its own cost, to better organize the maintenance area to create room for the tower and improve the overall appearance of the area. As a result, there would be no change in the size of the maintenance area after the tower was installed. In response to questions from the Supervisors, Rise Up also provided testimony regarding environmental clearances required for the installation of cell phone towers. After a rigorous analysis, the Supervisors concluded that the tower would not harm the Park’s scenic or recreation areas, as there would be no change to any part of the Park outside of the existing maintenance area. Following the conclusion of testimony, the Board of Supervisors voted to approve an amendment to the conservation easement for the cell tower.  This location still needs a sign off from Montgomery, approval of a lease between Lower Gwynedd Township and Rise Up Towers, and approval of the lease from the Orphans’ Court Division of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas. 

Information about Cell Tower Safety 

During Rise Up Towers’ July 2023 presentation about the proposed towers, residents asked whether cell towers could negatively affect the health of people whose homes are nearby. This issue has been studied extensively.  Below are helpful links that provide information on this subject.