A resident shows the Zoning Board photos of T-mobile's Tower
Last week the Town of Huntington’s Zoning Board denied T-Mobile permission to complete their work on a 150-foot cell phone tower on 17th Street in the South Huntington Water District. The Zoning Board decided that the mobile carrier did not have a legal lease to the land where the tower has been erected and therefore the work they have completed was done so illegally. Neighborhood residents were surprised to learn this week that the tower may or may not be finished, but is operating anyway.
The Town issued a stop work order in Dec. 2009. Residents met with SHWD commissioners and water district counsel on Jan 5, 2010. At that meeting residents were told by counsel to SHWD that the tower was not activated. According to residents at the August 12 Zoning Board meeting, T-Mobile continued to work late at night until early in the morning digging a trench a laying electrical wires, even after the Town of Huntington had issued a stop work order. In spite of the stop-work order and assurances by SHWD attorneys that the tower is inactive, T-Mobile’s attorney mentioned during the August, 12 Zoning Board hearing that the tower is operating. Yesterday, this fact was confirmed to residents by the Town Zoning Department.
Robert Gadioso, the lawyer for T-Mobile, told the zoning board that T-Mobile had permission from the SHWD to build on the lot and was under the belief that they did not require additional permission from the town or zoning approval. The Zoning Board says that the Town is the only authority that can lease this land and therefore T-Mobile’s lease is illegal and the company should never have begun the work, much less continued once a stop work order was issued.
Resident Teresa Urbach says that it is important for the town to follow through and make sure that the tower is de-activated and disassembled. According to Urbach, this is not only important for the people of this neighborhood but for all of Long Island because once cell towers are allowed into one residential neighborhood there will be no stopping them from going into all neighborhoods.
A.J. Carter, the spokesman for the town of Huntington, told us that the town has been made aware of the situation. They have options that they are considering and will proceed with what they feel is the best course of action.
The residents who live in the vicinity of the T-Mobile cell tower are calling on the Town of Huntington to enforce the Town Zoning Board’s decision. They are concerned about the safety of the tower which lacks mandated fall zones and may have weak concrete footings. They say that if T-Mobile decides to appeal the Zoning Board decision it could take several years to be decided. In the meantime, residents say the tower needs to be off, because T-Mobile should not be allowed to operate an illegal and potentially unsafe structure that they built even after the town told them to stop.
Can you hear me now?
Why can’t the Town fine them for activating the tower and putting all that money into the security of the school district?
Everyone keeps saying that there isn’t any money for police, why not use T-mobile fines to pay for a private security firm? Public safety doesn’t do anything, the police are understaffed and the Town only starting caring about the gangs once JAI was closed.
Maybe they can fix the problem and show the citizens and legal residents of Huntington and Huntington Station that they care now.
Don’t turn it off, everyone needs cell service. But fine them for breaking the rules. Turn this into an advantage.
UNLESS…. is the Town getting any kickbacks from this? Wouldn’t surprise me with all the underhanded tricks the Town uses.
ooooh here we go again……nothing else to complain about today?
[...] practically in their backyards. It could happen to you.( Read T Mobile Tower Placed on Hold and Sneaky T Mobile Ignores Town [...]
Why can’t the Town fine them for activating the tower and putting all that money into the security of the school district?
Like … they didn’t know. The locals are the one who police this town. Not The Cops, Not Public Safety, And Sure Not the FIRE DEPARTMENT. they are all spoken for in HUNTINGTON STATION. ha ha ha. speak to Glidden.