By JEFF LIPTON
In an Aug. 8 decision, the Town of Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals ruled against T-Mobile¹s plan to mount the antennas on top of a 20-foot flagpole on the 51-foot-high roof of G&M Wolkenberg Mortgage Bank, at 2838 Long Beach Road, a few yards south of the lighthouse in the triangle at Davison Avenue. The board said that T-Mobile failed to show that any real need exists for the cell tower in the center of Oceanside, and rejected the company¹s claims that the tower was crucial to fill a service gap in the area.
³It was denied! I love it. It¹s a victory for the little people,² said Julie Taub, an Oceanside resident and an agent at Hal Knopf Realty, a few doors north of the site, who led the fight against the proposal.
But opponents of the cell tower had to temper their enthusiasm when Verizon Wireless proposed the installation of six antennas on the same building, along with an equipment room in its basement. A public hearing on that proposal is scheduled for Sept. 19, according to Town of Hempstead spokeswoman Susan Trenkle.
³Now Verizon has an application in for the same place?² said Josephine Schlef, a resident who also opposes a cell tower. ³It¹s crazy.²
Residents said they are determined to fight any proposal to erect a cell tower in their community. They argued that the tower would be an eyesore, decrease property values and haunt neighbors who are concerned about the possible health effects of living next to such a structure.
Jane Builder, a spokeswoman for T-Mobile, said the company is committed to working with the Oceanside community to find a solution that improves coverage and keeps families connected. ³Oceanside families deserve the peace of mind that comes with expanded coverage ‹ the ease of staying connected with the important people in their lives and improved access to emergency services when those calls matter,² Builder said. ³Our customers¹ use of their cell phones is increasing, the places they expect to stay connected is increasing, and their reliance on their cell phones as a lifeline is increasing.²
She said that no decision had been made on what T-Mobile¹s next move will be. ³But we are reviewing our options as to how we can continue to improve service and keep families and businesses connected in the Oceanside area,² she said.
Resident Donald Dellaro expressed skepticism about T-Mobile¹s future plans, theorizing that the company may wait for Verizon to receive approval for a tower, and then share the same flagpole. ³T-Mobile will probably just buy space over there and share the same tower with Verizon,² Dellaro said. ³They¹re all in cahoots.²
In an effort to defeat T-Mobile¹s plan, residents undertook four separate studies on 13 different days and at more than 60 locations within a half-mile radius of the bank building, disproving claims by T-Mobile that there is a ³dead zone,² or service gap, in the middle of Oceanside.
The Web site of Omnipoint Communications, the umbrella corporation for T-Mobile, shows the lack of need for a cell phone tower in the middle of Oceanside¹s newly refurbished town center, the zoning board said in its decision to reject T-Mobile¹s plan. The board said it was also convinced that the community had made great strides to beautify the area, and that its efforts would not be enhanced by a cell tower.
³Further, not only can Omnipoint not promise that no other cell phone towers will be erected on this building if they are approved, but in fact Verizon has an application before this board for the same building,² the board stated.
³I think they¹re dangerous and unsightly to begin with,² resident Sheila Sachsenmaier, who moved to Oceanside in 1959, said of cell towers. ³The part that bothered me most is that I think they¹re very bad for your health.
³I¹m glad T-Mobile is not going through with their plan, but now we have to start all over again,² Sachsenmaier said, referring to Verizon¹s proposal.
Although many experts suggest that it cannot be proved that cell towers emit radiation or other waves that can cause cancer and other health problems, some residents are not convinced. ³I¹m afraid of all that radiation being thrown at us 24/7,² said Schlef. ³Why should I live in fear of all that radiation? And we don¹t need this hideous eyesore bringing down the value of houses in our area.²
David Samberg, a spokesman for Verizon Wireless, would not comment on his company¹s proposal, but referring to cell phone users¹ need for service, he said, ³It¹s not about coverage. There¹s so many users in a certain area that they might need another cell to have enough capacity for everyone. Capacity is just as important as coverage.²
Taub said of Verizon¹s proposal, ³They¹re not coming in ‹ not if we can stop them.²
Comments about this story? JLipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287.
