A proposed 445-foot cell tower located behind the Penn Forest Township Municipal Building moved a step closer to construction Monday night.

The township supervisors voted to exempt Pierce Broadband from having to go through the land development process for their proposed tower.

The tower will be part of a network transmitting financial data between New York and Chicago.

In June the supervisors voted to allow Pierce to build the tower in the C-1 highway commercial zoning district.

The monopole tower will stand 445 feet tall with circular microwave antennas.

Pierce would lease the location from the township, with an agreement where the township receives rental payments. The township would also get a share of any rent if a cellphone provider decides to locate its antennas on the tower.

On Tuesday, the supervisors decided that Pierce did not have to get approval for a land development plan for the tower from the township. A land development plan would mean that the tower developer would have to go through a more thorough review from the township planning commission and supervisors.

Solicitor Thomas Nanovic said normally a lease means that the approval would be needed. Court cases are inconsistent when it comes to whether or not a cellphone tower needs land development approval. He said it depends on the number of buildings which serve to hold equipment for the tower, and the driveway leading to it.

“The mere fact that you’re leasing a small piece of property does not create a need for land development,” he said.

He said a tower like the one Pierce is proposing, with a 60-foot-long driveway leading from the parking lot of the township municipal building, would not need land development approval.

The decision means that Pierce only needs to secure a building permit to begin construction.

In June the supervisors approved a conditional use application for the project. Several residents opposed the project. The residents said it would decrease the value of the real estate in the area, potentially cause health concerns, and create light pollution that would affect their property.

The supervisors said in their written decision that the residents’ concerns did not amount to a threat against the health, safety and welfare of the community.

On Tuesday the supervisors also agreed to hold a meeting with Pierce to discuss the proposed construction plan. Pierce has asked to use a large portion of the parking lot at the municipal building to stage its equipment.

The supervisors said that they need access to the entire municipal building during construction. The proposed plan would close off the only ADA-compliant access to the township tax collector’s office. They agreed to schedule a meeting with Pierce to discuss it.