More Than 6,900 Sign Petition To Save Holmdel Horn Antenna

HOLMDEL, NJ — From homemaker to physicist, there seems to be broad agreement among township residents to preserve the Holmdel Horn antenna, a landmark in the history of science that is sitting silently now on the high point of Monmouth County on Crawford Hill.

A petition of more than 6,904 voices from Holmdel and places around the world was presented Tuesday night to the Township Committee, which accepted the petition and heard many supporting comments. At last 1,200 township residents joined the petition.

The Horn antenna's decades-long home on about 43 acres off Holmdel Road has been owned in the past by Bell Labs and Nokia, but is now privately owned and could be brought before township land use boards to be developed for housing.

It has not so far, and the township Planning Board is now studying the site as one to designate as an area in need of redevelopment, thus giving the township greater control of it.

One resident, Agnes King, who spoke at the meeting modestly described herself as a homemaker - "not a scientist."

A township resident for more than 50 years, she said "so many people are behind this," speaking of preservation.

And the Township Committee heard from many of those supporters and has itself acknowledged the significance of the Horn antenna.

In February, Mayor DJ Luccrelli read a statement saying the township is "in negotiations" with the current owner of the property. He said he was limited in what he could comment on because of the negotiations, but he acknowledged how unique the Horn antenna - used in the validation of the Big Bang Theory - is to the township. The statement can be heard on the recording of the Township Committee meeting of Feb. 14.

Meanwhile, local environmental and land use advocates - and residents and former residents - all wanted to formally bring the petition to the committee early in the process of deciding the future of the Horn antenna and its surroundings, said Karen Strickland, co-president of Citizens for Informed Land Use.

"We ask the Holmdel Committee to take the lead to preserve the site," Stickland said, in presenting the petition at the beginning of the public comments.

You can read more about the group's efforts at its website.

Another resident, Ralph Blumenthal, is a sort of dean among environmental and scientific advocates in the township. A physicist, he is a founding trustee of Friends of Holmdel Open Space and a member and former president of Citizens for Informed Land Use.

"We strongly recommend that the entire Crawford Hill property and the Big Bang Horn antenna be preserved in perpetuity as a park with public access," he said in his statement to the committee.

He said last spring he heard about a possible threat to the Horn antenna from Bob Wilson, one of two Bell Labs researchers who won a Nobel Prize in 1978, using information captured by the Horn antenna to support the Big Bang Theory of the creation of the universe.

It was this work that led to the Horn's status as a National Historic Landmark.

Blumenthal said "As a physicist I have long known about the Horn antenna and the amazing research done with it."

He said he and his wife are also hikers and noticed the property's "plateau at the top could be a place for a high-point monument, some exhibits about the Big Bang Theory and more."

He also pointed out some economic factors in favor of preservation.

"There is ample evidence from many studies that the preservation of open space is a financial win-win for the residents and the township. The finances to acquire the property are readily available. Holmdel has an increased Open Space Trust Fund and can partner with Monmouth County Parks, Monmouth County, Green Acres, FOHOS (Friends of Holmdel Open Space) and others as has been done before."

He also asked the committee to consider creating a sub-committee of advocates and township representatives to "consider various options and the best way forward for Holmdel. Together we can create an outstanding new park for Holmdel."

Another concerned resident, Kin Gee, made a separate statement that also touched on the economic benefits of preservation:

"The public and the scientific communities have clearly voiced their overwhelming support to save the Horn antenna at its current location and to preserve Crawford Hill property as a public park. This will commemorate Holmdel's legacy in astronomy and cosmology, improve the quality of life for Holmdel residents, and lower future tax costs – a triple win for Holmdel," Gee said.

He added that supporters of preservation "look forward to future communications from the Township Committee on the progress of the negotiations with the owner of the property."

The property was sold by Nokia to Rakesh Antala, an area technology executive, in January of 2021 for $3.6 million, said Douglas Twyman of Colliers International, who handled the transaction. Twyman said in December that Antala has said he intends to preserve the antenna.

Nokia executives also presented comments Tuesday night to the committee in favor of preservation.

Thierry E. Klein, president of Bell Labs Solutions Research Nokia, and Peter Vetter, president of Bell Labs Core Research Nokia, noted that apart from the role in the validation of the Big Bang Theory, "The Horn antenna is also an important part of Bell Labs’ history because of its role in the satellite communication research program that resulted in the very first communication satellite 'Telstar' launched in 1962. The site of the Horn Antenna was purposely chosen on the top of a hill so that it would have the best coverage and the least obstruction by the surrounding topology. We therefore support that the original site should remain the location of the Horn Antenna to educate future generations."

One action the committee did take last night was to amend its November resolution referring the site to the Planning Board for study as one in need of redevelopment. The modification would put the study of the site on a "condemnation basis" rather than a non-condemnation basis, Township Attorney Michael Collins said. It does not change the scope of the Planning Board's study of the site, he added.

Regina Criscione, co-president of Citizens for Informed Land Use, said the group was "surprised at the action" and "will be investigating how it affects the process of acquiring the site. We are, however, pleased that the township is taking action that appears to be in the direction of preserving the Crawford Hill property and the Horn antenna."