Verizon's small-cell installation on Chatham Road won't start until November, Township Administrator Alex McDonald told residents at the Sept. 1 Millburn Township Committee meeting. The project had been expected to be complete by September.

Residents pressed officials during public comment about noise, traffic disruption and construction timelines for two cell tower projects along Chatham Road and JFK Parkway, TAPinto Millburn/Short Hills reported.

McDonald said Verizon must complete additional regulatory steps before the Chatham Road work can proceed. He called the delay procedural, not technical.

"It is still very much in progress," McDonald said of the Chatham Road project.

The larger cell tower planned for JFK Parkway is on a separate track. Construction on that 150-foot monopole is expected to begin at the end of September and take several months to complete. The township is working with New Jersey American Water to secure an easement for electrical access to the site.

Getting power to the JFK Parkway location has been a persistent challenge. McDonald flagged the issue as far back as the March 17 Township Committee meeting, according to township records. The easement with the water utility remains unresolved.

The Millburn Zoning Board of Adjustment approved the JFK Parkway tower on March 2. Diamond Towers V LLC, the successful bidder in a municipal bid process, received variances to build the 150-foot monopole on a township-owned parcel at 137 JFK Parkway. The standard height limit in that conservation-recreation zone is 32 feet. Verizon's engineering testimony during the application process showed coverage gaps in central Millburn neighborhoods south of the parkway.

Both projects are part of a broader push to fix dead zones across Millburn and Short Hills. At the July 14 Township Committee meeting, Mayor Frank Saccomandi said he had met with a senior Verizon development director and compiled more than 100 resident submissions identifying specific coverage gaps. The township used that data to create a heat map and report that Verizon committed to sending to its radio-frequency engineering team.

The Township Committee also introduced an ordinance on July 14 establishing updated standards for wireless facilities, covering siting, height, design and safety requirements. Whether that ordinance has received a final vote is unclear from available records.

McDonald promised clearer updates as construction moves forward. The Chatham Road small-cell work is now expected in November, and JFK Parkway construction is expected to begin at the end of September and take several months. Residents can check the township's meeting schedule at twp.millburn.nj.us for upcoming dates to follow both projects.