OP cell tower delayed over foundation issue

If you live in Ocean Pines, Maryland, or you're house-hunting in the area, here's an update worth tracking: the community's planned 150-foot cell tower has hit a construction snag. According to Ocean Pines Association General Manager John Viola, workers ran into a foundation problem earlier this month when the sides of the installation hole caved in during digging. Contractor Milestone Towers has since brought in engineers to reassess the site, pushing the expected completion date from November to early December. Once the fix is sorted out, construction is expected to take another six to eight weeks.

Where the tower is going — and why it matters

The tower will sit behind the maintenance facility at the Ocean Pines Golf Course, a spot officials chose for its central location. It's being designed to resemble a tree, an attempt to blend into the wooded neighborhood rather than stand out as an industrial structure. For parents and homeowners thinking about long-term exposure, location and distance matter: the farther a residence is from a tower's base, the lower the ambient RF-EMF exposure tends to be, which is one reason siting decisions like this one draw public attention at community meetings.

The project itself isn't driven by health concerns — it's about fixing notoriously spotty cell service, an effort pushed by former Ocean Pines Police Chief Tim Robinson after he saw how hard it was to make calls during busy summer weekends. Milestone Towers is covering construction costs and paying Ocean Pines a one-time fee of roughly $20,000, plus ongoing rent from carriers once they sign on — money that could bring in about $35,000 a year for the community. Verizon is among the carriers expected to use the tower.

What families can do in the meantime

If you're in Ocean Pines or considering a move there, this delay gives you a window to think through placement relative to your own home before the tower goes live. For families who want to be proactive about EMF exposure at home regardless of nearby towers, there are practical, low-effort steps worth exploring — from choosing low-EMF air purifiers for everyday air quality to swapping in low-EMF hair dryers for personal care routines that still minimize unnecessary exposure. Homeowners especially concerned about signal proximity may also want to look into EMF shielding paint as one option for reducing exposure indoors.

For now, the tower remains in limbo while engineers rework the foundation plan. Residents should expect more updates from OPA as the project moves toward its new December target.

Originally reported by baysideoc.com