Ocean City Neighbors concerned about plan to install 5G antennas near their home

News about the potential health impact of radio frequency radiation (rF waves) from the 5G nodes.

“It’s like aiming a gun directly at families and children,” said Steven Petrun.

health Organization and the Food and Drug Administration, have concluded that human exposure to rF waves is safe.

By Sarah Fertsch Staff Writer

Aplan to install 5G cellular antennas on the roof of a 34th Street office building has some neighbors worried that they will be exposed to a health risk.

At 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 1, the Ocean City Planning Board is scheduled to consider an application by Cellco Partnership, working on behalf of Verizon Wireless, for a minor site plan approval to install wireless telecommunications antennas on the roof of the Compass Building at 34th Street and West Avenue.

The proposal is a permitted use within the Gateway zone, according to documents on file with the Ocean City Planning Board. The project site, at 3337-39 haven Ave., is within a couple hundred feet of residential property.

Steve and Kathy Petrun enjoy their Ocean City home during the spring and summer. The couple expressed concerns to Shore Local

Petrun said that while 5G pods are safe from a distance, he’s worried the direct waves in such close proximity to people could cause cancer or other health issues.

Concerned neighbors say that the Federal Communications Commission, which has deemed the 5G antennas safe, does not do enough to protect the public. The human exposure standards they use from the National Council on radiation Protection (NCrP) were adopted in 1996 and have not been updated since.

The FCC reports via its website that the 5G network uses many more and smaller base stations than 4G because the waves travel shorter distances and don’t pass through objects. The technology requires clusters to be close to where people live, work and spend their time.

“At the same time, these higher frequency rF waves are less able to penetrate the body than lower frequency waves, so in theory they might be less likely to have any potential health effects. But so far this issue has not been well studied,” reads the website.

Numerous entities, including the World

The Ocean City Planning Board was set to discuss the 5G clusters on March 1. however, themeeting has been post to April 5. Until then, the neighbors, including the Petruns, have been asked to hold their questions and comments.

“Millions of tourists come down in the summers and so they need ‘an enhancement of services’ from internet providers and cell services,” said Kathryn Pretrun. “But that doesn’t account for the small children living directly across from these antennas and such. Think about the locals.”

Also of concern is the look of the clusters and the effects of active construction in their neck of the woods. “We come to Ocean City because of its charm, and that charm is being taken away because of the 5G,” said Steve Petrun.

The clusters would be built on the roof of the 21-foot-tall Compass Building, and no variances are required, according to official documents. The plans indicate that the proposed antenna and screening will not exceed the height of the two-story structure.

Ocean City hosted 5G educational sessions at City hall in October 2022, which were also available on Zoom. The Utility Advisory Commission supports the transition to 5G, which powers security systems, medical tech, emergency alerts and smart watches/tablets, along with cellphones.

Even if the Ocean City Planning Board were to object, it would have no say in the matter as far as health issues are concerned, the FCC says.

According to the FCC website, federal statute “preempts local decisions premised directly or indirectly on the environmental effects of radio frequency (r F) emissions, assuming that the provider is in compliance with the FCC’s rF rules.”

The site was originally approved as a bank with drive-thru service.

Sarah Fertsch was born and raised in Egg Harbor Township, and holds a dual degree in public relations and political science. Prior to joining Shore Local full-time, she worked at a CSPAN affiliate, writing about Pennsylvania legislation. When she isn't writing, Sarah enjoys painting, horseback riding, and Crossfit.