Verizon confirms new cell tower under construction in East Amherst to boost network capacity

Verizon has confirmed construction of a new 139-foot cell tower on Smith Road in East Amherst, New York, with completion expected around spring 2026. The project comes after years of resident complaints about dropped calls and unreliable service, but raises important questions for health-conscious families about long-term EMF exposure in residential areas.

What's Happening in East Amherst

According to Mark Coon, Verizon's real estate and regulatory engineering manager for Upstate New York, the tower aims to add bandwidth and network capacity to handle growing demand from smartphones, tablets, and smart home devices. The foundation is already installed, and the tower is designed to accommodate a second wireless carrier in the future.

Local resident George Ziemer noted that "calls started dropping constantly" about five or six years ago, saying "I couldn't even make a call from home." The project was made possible through legislation sponsored by Assemblymember Karen McMahon, who stated that "reliable cell service is no longer simply a convenience - it is an essential part of daily life."

What This Means for Families and Homebuyers

For parents and prospective homebuyers concerned about EMF exposure, the placement of a new cell tower in a residential area warrants careful consideration. While improved cell service can be beneficial for emergency communications, it also means increased radiofrequency radiation in the surrounding area. EMF exposure decreases significantly with distance, so proximity to the tower location on Smith Road will be an important factor for nearby homes.

If you're already taking steps to reduce EMF exposure in your home—whether through low-EMF air purifiers or other protective measures like EMF shielding paint—you may want to research the tower's exact location and your distance from it. Families concerned about cumulative exposure should consider that this tower is designed to support not just Verizon but potentially a second carrier as well, which could mean additional antennas and transmission equipment at the same site.

For those shopping for homes in East Amherst, knowing the tower's location on Smith Road can help inform decisions about which neighborhoods to prioritize, especially if minimizing EMF exposure is a health priority alongside other considerations like choosing low-EMF personal care devices.

Originally reported by WKBW