By Hector Flores
The news of the postponement came Sept. 6, as representatives of Omnipoint were scheduled to present their application before the BZA.
Susie Trenkel, spokeswoman for the Town of Hempstead, said, ³Nothing was presented [before the BZA]. It was called but then postponed until Jan. 10, at the request of the [East Meadow] Civic Association so that they could have a further review of the application and meet with the applicant.²
Robert Zafonte, president of the civic association, said of Omnipoint, ³They have been directed to meet the neighbors and the civic association. They have to make a detailed presentation [of their plans] and then open the floor to residents [for questions].²
News of the postponement was welcomed by many residents. Fran Fasulo, who lives four blocks from the proposed antennas site, said, ³I¹m very pleased with the board¹s decision. I want to know if there are going to be any health risks related to the placement of the antennas. I also want to know how it will affect the value of my home. For me, Newbridge Road is my backyard, and I would like to know why they chose that location when they could have looked at Hempstead Turnpike, which has more commercial properties.²
The BZA¹s decision to postpone Omnipoint¹s application is a clear setback for the company, which was acquired by T-Mobil. Joe Walsh, a spokesman for T-Mobil, said that the placement of the antennas was intended to answer customer complaints about the lack of service in East Meadow.
Walsh added that if the application had been approved, the pole would have been painted to minimize any detrimental aesthetic effects, and he explained that when the company installs its antennas, they are well below the emissions and power standards set by the Federal Communications Commission.
Denise Azzato, who lives across the street from the proposed site, said, ³If they put that light pole on the corner, it would be outside my bedroom window. I¹m very happy that they¹ve adjourned their petition and the Board of Zoning Appeals is giving us ample time to meet with Omnipoint before we go back for the hearing.²
John Wiencek, another homeowner who lives across the street from the proposed site, said that he never received a notice from Omnipoint about the installation of the proposed antennas in his neighborhood.
³I think that the postponement is appropriate to allow the community to prepare for the next meeting," Wiencek said. "The community attempted to meet with [Omnipoint¹s] attorney and we were ignored. The postponement was given because there was no public meeting before the application.²
Zafonte said that this was not the first time the civic association has faced off against a cell phone company. ³At one time there were proposals to place antennas on top of the East Meadow Firehouse and on top of the [Town of Hempstead] water tower,² he said. ³As soon as the town and fire department heard that residents were opposed of the antennas, they killed the proposals.²
Zafonte added that Omnipoint¹s application is a direct assault on the residents of East Meadow. ³We feel that it will have a negative impact on property value, and we will launch all our resources against this application,² he said. ³We are reviewing our options and are looking into hiring an attorney who specializes in zoning and has experience in dealing with cell phone antenna or tower applications.²
East Meadow is not the only community up in arms about Omnipoint¹s efforts to install more antennas on Long Island. Franklin Square residents who live near Franklin Bridge Centre on Dogwood Avenue are fighting another Omnipoint proposal to place six wireless communication antennas inside a 65-foot-tall light pole in the shopping center¹s rear parking lot. That application is set to go before the BZA on Sept. 28.
Comments about this story? HFlores@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
