State to erect cell tower on parkway in N. Bellmore

Local residents have taken stands against any number of cell towers in the community, but they might have little say about a proposed monopole at the intersection of Bismark Avenue and Bellmore Road in North Bellmore.

A small wooded area at the intersection protects the surrounding neighborhood from traffic entering and exiting the eastbound Southern State Parkway at exit 26; Bismark Avenue is the access road to the parkway. The state’s Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation recently notified the Town of Hempstead of its intent to construct a 120-foot-tall cell tower there.

In a recent letter to Bellmore residents, Town Supervisor Kate Murray wrote that “local governments have no jurisdiction over the placement of wireless communications equipment on state land.” She said the town was informing residents because officials felt they had a right to know. In the letter, Murray also explained that the town asked the state to host public hearings for residents to voice their concerns.

“Although the state Department of Parks and Recreation is not subject to town law, we hope they will respond to our request that they meet with neighbors and include them in their decision-making process,” Murray added.

Though not subject to local law, the land is subject to the State Environmental Quality Review Act, said Dan Keefe, spokesman for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The application for the monopole is from Crown Communications, a company that “has a contract with the state to develop towers with the state on state land,” he added.

Keefe also noted that Crown Communications already has five cell towers on state land on Long Island: one atop the Jones Beach amphitheater; one in Malverne, at Exit 17 of the Southern State Parkway; one in Valley Stream State Park; one in Belmont Lake State Park and one at Camp Hero in Montauk. The proposed tower is still in the early stages of planning, and the state will order a preliminary review of the site. There is no estimate on how long that process may take. “It’s a case-by-case basis,” Keefe said.

Even though plans are preliminary, residents are already upset by the idea of having another cell tower in their neighborhood. Community activist Lisa Schary noted that neighbors frequently volunteer to clean up debris that flies off the parkway. The cell tower “would definitely be encroaching,” Schary said. “There are people who have been volunteering, there are people who have been cleaning up there.”

Keefe said that community members would have a chance to voice their concerns. The state will hold a public meeting sometime in early November.

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