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Partly Cloudy Concealed cell antennas proposed at East Meadow church
T-Mobile files application with Town of Hempstead, hearing on Feb. 2
The communications company T-Mobile has filed an application with the Town of Hempstead to build wireless communication antennas inside the steeple of Open Hand of God Church on East Meadow Avenue.
A public hearing on the application is scheduled for the Feb. 2 meeting of the Hempstead Town Board of Zoning Appeals.
An engineer from T-Mobile explained that the company intends to boost service while limiting the aesthetic impact on the residential and business community. “In most locations, particularly when we’re in residential areas, we disguise the antennas so they’re as concealed as possible,” said Eric Engen, a senior manager of engineering development for the company. “You won’t see them at all.”
If its application is approved, T-Mobile would sign a 30-year lease with Open Hand of God Church, at 493 East Meadow Ave. Church and T-Mobile officials declined to disclose the financial terms, but said that the lease would provide a valuable revenue stream for the church.
T-Mobile struck a deal in October with the North Bellmore Fire Department to erect a 100-foot tower at the north firehouse on East Meadow Avenue and Newbridge Road. The lease agreement is expected to generate $140,000 a year for the department.
The plan at Open Hand of God, however, does not include a tower. The church’s steeple, covered by asphalt shingles, will be replaced with a fiberglass steeple that is a foot taller. According to Engen, all other dimensions will remain the same, and the structure will be of similar appearance because the antennas will be concealed. Industry leaders often refer to such construction as “stealth.”
“The stealth aspect was an attraction for us at the church,” said the Rev. Cristian Preda, senior pastor at Open Hand of God.
T-Mobile partnered with the church after surveying the neighborhood and meeting with other property owners along East Meadow Avenue. “We have had a gap in coverage here for a while,” Engen said. “We looked throughout the area to find out what the options were to provide coverage in the least intrusive ways as possible.”
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