Dewey Beach, De - A class-action lawsuit filed by three Dewey Beach residents against Verizon results in a settlement that will move five 5G poles off the dunes near the ocean. According to Town Commissioner Paul Bauer the residents (Diane Cooley, Alex Pires, and John Snow) filed the lawsuit over five months ago.
The settlement proceeded Thursday's approval by the Dewey Beach Commissioners of a wireless facilities ordinance and design standards. It requires poles to not by larger than 35 feet unless the wireless company can prove that the height is insufficient for a signal. Also part of the approval is a $500 a day non-notification fine for each day a new pole is in place.
There was momentum for the pole removal back in September when the town entered into a funding plan with the State of Delaware in which Dewey Beach would receive $375,000 for relocating 5G poles after an agreement with wireless carriers.
Save Dewey Beach Protest organizer Dan Dionisio says, "This is a testament to what the community and Town of Dewey Beach can accomplish when we all work together."
The approved ordinance provides the guide for the pole relocation. The next step is determining where the site of the relocation.