RSS 2.0 FeedMarch 17, 2011, Bellmore Life
Angry residents oppose planned cell tower
County Comptroller Maragos says county will work with NIFA, also.
It was standing room only as approximately 100 outraged residents packed the North Bellmore Library Monday night for the North Bellmore Civic Association’s monthly meeting.
While there were a number of topics on the agenda, including a visit from county Comptroller George Maragos and administrators from the Belair Care Center, the topic residents were interested in discussing, and continued to discuss long after the library had closed, was the proposed cell tower on Southern State Parkway’s exit 26, Bellmore Road.
Leading the fight
Spearheading the fight to have Crown Communications drop its proposal is resident Dev Shafeek (below). Mr. Shafeek has formed the group North Bellmore Residents Against Cell Towers, or NBRACT, pronounced “neighbor act” (see Bellmore Life, March 9, p. 2). Mr. Shafeek said, “I live about 400 feet from the proposed cell tower.” He went on to say the structure would be about as tall as the Statue of Liberty, from crown to toe.
Nassau County Legislator Dave Denenberg was on hand to lend his support in opposing this new cell tower. Mr. Denenberg explained that while citing health concerns would no longer hold any weight in opposing the tower, the belief that it’s ugly and hurts the market values of area homes are both still legitimate concerns.
Mr. Denenberg explained that the state has a contract with Crown to build cell towers then carriers lease space from Crown. The obstacle standing in the way of the community having its voice heard on the issue concerns a particular cell tower located on state land, and therefore not accountable to the zoning regulations of the Town of Hempstead. Crown is not required to go to a zoning board hearing to be allowed to erect the structure.
Rather than form petitions, Mr. Denenberg said it would be best for residents to send individual letters and e-mails to state officials. His letter of opposition is addressed to:
Mr. Stephen Lewis
NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Empire State Plaza, Agency Building 1
Albany, NY 12238.
Mr. Shafeek and Mr. Denenberg both concurred that no need has been established for this cell tower with four towers already in the immediate vicinity, the closest one at Newbridge Road and Jerusalem Avenue.
Mr. Shafeek has also established a Facebook group to obtain more information:www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_152651464791537. Those not on Facebook can e-mail Mr. Shafeek at nbract@gmail.com or call him at 646-389-2543.
NIFA control period upheld
Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos attended the meeting and explained what effect the continued control period of the Nassau Budget by the Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) would have for residents.
Mr. Maragos said County Executive Ed Mangano now has five days to submit a revised budget void of many “risk items.” He said two of the major risk items likely eliminated would be the expansion of the red light cameras and $61 million in labor concessions with the unions.
“NIFA will be a part of the approval process of all new contracts,” said Mr. Maragos. He added that one of the benefits of NIFA’s involvement is that NIFA can freeze union salary increases.
Mr. Maragos said, “The biggest risk to our budget is and continues to be the state and federal mandates.” He cited high increases in both pension costs and health insurance.
Mr. Maragos said, “I anticipate we will work constructively with NIFA, the legislature and the county executive.”
Belair Care Center’s new building
Michael Letter, the administrator at the Belair Care Center on Jerusalem Avenue, said, “The construction on the new facility is completed. We finished about Labor Day last year.”
He said the center still housed 103 residents, the same number as prior to the expansion. He said the expansion was necessary because, “By today’s standards, today’s codes, it needed to be much larger.” He said the facility is 40% long-term residents and the remainder short-term residents that may be recovering from strokes, heart attacks or fractures; people who he said are too well to stay in the hospital but too sick to go home.
He said, “We expanded parking and added between 50 and 60 spots.”
The reason for Mr. Letter’s visit to the civic association’s meeting was to get feedback from residents regarding a zoning condition Belair originally agreed to before undergoing to reconstruction of its facility. Belair originally agreed to build a home on a parcel of the land where the facility is situated. Mr. Letter brought pictures and architect David Mammina to show what the area looks like now, and what it would look like with the addition of a residential home on the property.
The construction of a house would eliminate a large portion of green space on the property now facing Little Neck Avenue.
Civic association President Reinaldo Nunez said, “It doesn’t look like a facility. It’s very pretty.”
