RSS 2.0 FeedMarch 10, 2011, Bellmore Life
New group formed to oppose NB cell tower
Is there a need for tower? Newly-formed group says, "no."
Barely a week-and-a-half old, a newly formed group opposing the construction of a new cell tower in North Bellmore will bring its case to members of the North Bellmore Civic Association on Monday, March 14, at 7 p.m. at the North Bellmore Library.
Calling itself the North Bellmore Residents Against Cell Towers, the group formed on Sunday, February 27, when Dev Shafeek, Mike Sperling, Therese Lucas, Linda Jergens and Lois Jonas sat down at a Century 21 real estate office on Jerusalem Avenue to discuss Mepham High School’s meeting on cell towers last month.
At that meeting, a representative of Crown Communications and several state officials met with close to 100 residents on the proposal to build a 120-foot cell tower at the corner of St. Bismarck Avenue at Southern State Parkway and Bellmore Road (See Bellmore Life, February 23, page 3).
The five were disappointed with the turnout, and vowed to do something to increase awareness about the urgency in stopping what they believe would be a new, unnecessary cell tower in the community.
No need for new tower?
“There’s no need for another cell tower,” Mr. Sperling remarked to Bellmore Life on one reason for forming the group. “We have enough coverage in North Bellmore with four towers already.” He said the real reason for building the new tower has nothing to do with the state’s needs for communicating among its various agencies. Instead, Crown has a contract with the state and could rent it to private carriers and share profits with the state, he said.
Mr. Sperling cites an audit from the state comptroller’s office showing that Crown entered into contract with the state “for the purpose of licensing them [communication structures such as towers and rooftop towers] to private carriers and generating revenue. Revenues generated from such licenses are shared between Crown and the state in 1997.”
Mr. Sperling pointed out that, unlike two cell towers now at North Bellmore firehouses that are paid for by the carriers to reduce fire department expenses and reduce tax increases to the community, North Bellmore would see no similar benefits from the new Crown tower.
At last month’s meeting Charles Kovit, senior deputy attorney for the Town of Hempstead, who, with input from public and community officials, helped shape and formalize the town’s new cell ordinance law, added that private carriers who sign up to use the new cell tower would effectively avoid the stipulations in the new town ordinance.
Flyers distributed
With the help of Century 21 Realtors, the group developed and printed a run of 10,000 flyers it distributed to residents in the surrounding area. “Family, friends, even toddlers” helped distribute the flyers door-to-door, said Mr. Shafeek.
The flyer cites myriad concerns for new cell tower development into the area, including a reduction of property values, unsightliness and intrusion into residents’ yards and windows, commercialization of a residential area, displacement of wildlife on the state’s list of species of concern and still-unknown health risks.
At last month’s Mepham hearing, Ms. Jergens brought up the fact that Ground Zero rubble of the World Trade Center collapse on September 11, 2001, was at first considered safe by the government until it was learned much later to be dangerous.
She added to that list when she told Bellmore Life over the weekend that Agent Orange, used in Vietnam to clear vegetation, was at first said by the government to be safe for people, but was proven to be deadly much later.
During the Mepham meeting, Sal Sanseverino, a former president of the Communications Workers of America, spoke about how 20 years ago the talk in the street was of the dangers associated with new cell phones, imploring the audience not to believe what the government is saying about the safety of microwave radiation until all the studies are in.
“There are other places to build the tower, away from residences,” he said.
Another issue at the meeting revolved around species of birds that are of concern to the state, and have been seen at the tract of land where the state wants to build the cell tower.
Mr. Spalding, a member of the Audubon Society, said the birds are “species of special consideration under the state endangered species act”: Cooper’s hawk and the sharp-shinned hawk.
He added that he has often also seen the less-threatened red-tailed hawk in the trees.
Ms. Jergens brought up the safety issue when she said that Bismarck Avenue is a narrow two-lane street that many residents have trouble negotiating when turing off from the parkway. “It would be more dangerous during construction,” she said.
Mr. Shafeek told Bellmore Life the group asked to be on the North Bellmore Civic Association calendar on Monday, March 14, to “engage the NBCA members in dialogue over this issue. They have experience in these matters” of reaching out to the community, he said, and the group would like to cooperate with the NBCA in any way it can. The NBCA meets at the North Bellmore Library at 7 p.m.
The group has even reached out to Pam Dempsey, a spokeswoman for Wantagh Civic Association – a group that opposed antennas on the roof of the Farmingdale-Wantagh Jewish Center in the middle of a residential neighborhood in Wantagh. That application was considered by the Town of Hempstead’s zoning Board of Appeals. The group won. The board’s ruling was appealed, and the state Supreme Court decision is pending.
For information on the group, contact North Bellmore Residents Against Cell Towers at 646-389-2543, e-mail nbract@gmail.com. or visit its Facebook page at North Bellmore Residents Against Cell Towers.
