Cranford Zoning Board approves settlement allowing 143‑foot ‘‘monopine’’ at Union County College

The Cranford Township Zoning Board of Adjustment voted on Dec. 9, 2024, to approve a settlement that clears the way for a 143‑foot wireless communications tower designed as a faux evergreen “monopine” on Union County College property, resolving litigation that began after the board denied the original application in 2021.

The settlement—filed in federal court and summarized to the board at a Whispering Woods hearing—reflects additional technical evidence introduced in litigation and a change in legal standards after the Third Circuit’s Selco Partnership v. White Deer Township decision. Applicants’ counsel Greg Mies told the board the court could find the township’s prior denial inconsistent with federal law and that the parties reached a settlement "in the public interest" following that legal shift.

Why it matters: The settlement grants the carriers variances from local separation rules to place the compound in a wooded area of the college campus. The nearest residential unit will be 362 feet 10 inches from the proposed monopine; Cranford code requires 429 feet, so the settlement includes a variance of about 66 feet 2 inches. Residents told the board they feared visual impact, tree loss and reduced property values; the applicants said technical testimony and…