The tower, which now holds 18 Sprint and AT&T antennae, went up this past March. The cellular providers received the go-ahead to erect the monopole in the fall of 1999. Last spring, however, the Bellmore-Merrick Central School District, which owns the BOCES school, revealed that it had never been notified of the original BZA hearing for this case. The failure to inform the district violated town law. Thus, the BZA is to rehear the case.
Local residents say they want the tower removed and transplanted elsewhere or disguised as a flagpole. The cellular providers contend that either option would simply cost too much to carry out, but they have offered to reduce the size of the tower's antennae from 12 to four feet in length, knowledgeable sources said. One source close to this story said that masking the tower as a flagpole could run $50,000.
Nextel is seeking to add nine antennae to the tower. Next Wednesday's hearing may decide the fate of the provider's application for the addition.
The hearing is to take place at Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead.
