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March 10 Town Hall on Cell Service Follows 8 Years of Cell Tower Debate

  • by Stephen Lotz

In Greenbelt, the debate over cellphone infrastructure has shifted over the past eight years. What began in 2017 with opposition to a proposed cell tower near Eleanor Roosevelt High School (ERHS) has evolved into broader concerns about service reliability and coverage gaps across the city.

2017: ERHS Tower Proposal

The modern debate intensified in spring 2017, when Milestone Communications proposed constructing a 105-foot “marquee” cell tower on the grounds of Eleanor Roosevelt High School.

At the April 24, 2017 Greenbelt City Council meeting, the proposal dominated discussion and drew substantial resident opposition (see the May 3, 2017, News Review). The tower would have been located near Greenbelt Road on elevated ground, increasing its visibility across surrounding neighborhoods. Councilmembers raised concerns about the tower’s height, its proximity to nearby homes in Greenwood Village and whether residents had been properly notified.

Because the property belonged to Prince George’s County Public Schools under a broader agreement with Milestone, the city’s authority to block the installation was limited. Council voted to send letters expressing concerns to county officials and the company. In May 2017, following criticism from local officials and the Board of Education representative for the district, Milestone withdrew its application (see the May 11, 2017, issue).

Looking back, Mayor Emmett Jordan said public attitudes have shifted. “It’s just a different time than it was in 2017,” he said, noting that concerns about radiation were more prominent during the earlier debate.

2020: Small Cell Facilities

The issue resurfaced in a
different form in March 2020, when council turned its attention to small cell wireless facilities. These installations are typically mounted on poles or other existing structures and are intended to strengthen wireless networks in targeted areas.

At the March 11, 2020, meeting, council received an update on efforts to deploy small cell facilities in Greenbelt (see the March 26, 2020, issue). The city had adopted a small cell ordinance in December 2018 (see the December 6, 2018, and December 20, 2018, issues), and the discussion focused on how applications would be reviewed and what standards would apply to placement and design.

2024-2026: Coverage Gaps, Reliability

By 2024, the conversation had shifted from debates about tower placement to questions about service quality. At a September 4, 2024, worksession between council and Greenbelt Homes Inc., officials acknowledged that portions of the city experienced cellphone dead spots (see the September 11, 2024, issue). Concerns were raised that in some areas residents were unable to reliably place 911 calls via cellphone.

“It’s a life and death thing, and they need to pick up their cellphone and call 911; they want to be able to do that,” Jordan said.

On December 8, 2025, council revisited the issue during a council meeting, citing complaints from residents about dropped calls and weak reception in parts of the city (see the December 18, 2025, issue). 

At the January 5, 2026, worksession, which focused on the problem, city staff presented maps showing clusters of towers near major highways (see the January 15 issue). Other areas, particularly Greenbelt Center, appear to experience less consistent coverage. Although carrier maps indicate near-complete 4G and 5G service, residents reported dead zones and unreliable calls.

In January, council discussed possible next steps, including encouraging residents to report service issues directly to their providers and examining whether additional antennas or other infrastructure might be needed in areas with weaker reception.

Councilmembers acknowledged that while the city can convene providers and residents, it cannot require companies to install new towers. “It’s a business. So, if they want subscribers in Greenbelt, they need to provide the service,” Jordan said. “The city is not in the cellphone tower business.”

Looking Ahead

Residents will have another opportunity to weigh in at a community town hall on cellphone service scheduled for Tuesday, March 10 at 7 p.m. in the Council Chamber in the Municipal Building. City administration and cellphone providers are expected to attend and discuss coverage concerns, infrastructure and potential solutions.

Stephen Lotz is a University of Maryland student at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism interning with the Greenbelt News Review.

A map of Greenbelt, with Greenbelt Road represented by a heavy dark-blue line. Green circles surround each of the three neighborhoods: West, Historic, and East. Beltway Plaza is labeled within West, Roosevelt Center is labeled within Historic, and Greenway Shopping Center is labeled within East. Inside the West circle are many red dots and a few yellow dots, scattered throughout the neighborhood. Inside the East circle are about four yellow dots and about six red dots: mostly at the west side of the circle, with two at the south side. The Historic circle has one yellow dot at the northern side and one red dot at the southern side. In the lower left of the image, the caption is repeated in black text.
Cell phone towers in Greenbelt. Historic Greenbelt has two cell towers: one on the water tower at Ridge and Lastner Lane, and one at the intersection of Greenbelt Road and Southway. Greenbelt West has about 20. Greenbelt East has about 12. Colors show different vendors. Map is based on one provided at the city' s worksession. Map courtesy City of Greenbelt, edited by Cathie Meetre.

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