Zoning exemption approved for communications tower
Despite some vocal disapproval from the audience, the Riverhead Town Board unanimously voted in favor of a zoning exemption to allow the Wading River Fire Department to build a communications tower at its headquarters on North Country Road.
Facing ongoing communication challenges and a growing threat to the safety of first responders, the Wading River Fire District is partnering with Elite Towers and Verizon Wireless to construct a wireless communications facility, equipped with a 190-foot concealment pole that would strengthen its emergency correspondence.
The zoning exemption request was evaluated through a nine-part process called the Monroe Balancing Test, which is used to assess the nature of a proposed project, its impact on the local community and how the public would benefit. All of these components factor into determining whether or not the project should be exempted from local zoning rules.
The resolution approved Tuesday afternoon also made the Town Board the lead agency in the State Environmental Quality Review Act — or SEQRA — process. The board then issued a negative SEQRA declaration, having determined that the cell tower would not result in any significant negative environmental impacts.
Now that the project no longer needs to apply for variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals, a special permit from the Town Board or formal site plan approval from the Planning Board, the applicants can proceed with obtaining permits from the building department and fire marshal.
“Every second counts, and without radio communications, we fail, and we don’t want to fail,” said Councilman Kenneth Rothwell, who is also a volunteer firefighter with the Wading River Fire Department. “When we know we have the ability to fix something, when we know we have the ability to [improve] response time, when we know we have the ability to direct appropriate apparatuses and medical needs to our paramedics, to our police officers — that is a benefit to every resident in Wading River.”
Aside from filling existing service gaps, the Town Board noted other benefits the communications tower would provide, such as tax burden alleviation, due to revenue generated between the fire district and Elite Towers, and the ability to provide improved communications to other town agencies, including the Riverhead Police Department.
The fire district’s communications antennas at the top of the structure would bring its total height to 213 feet; Verizon Wireless also plans to install three of its own antennas at a centerline height of 185 feet. Seven antennas are reserved for future carriers, according to the application.
All of the wireless antennas will be hidden within the concealment pole, which is designed to create a stick-like effect to minimize its visibility. The plans feature additional site improvements such as a storage room in the building, a 174-square-foot equipment area on the roof and a natural gas generator.
The fire district is also allowing at least two cellular service providers access to the tower for two reasons: to allow emergency medical personnel to transmit medical data to hospitals in advance so immediate care can be given once ambulances arrive at the scene, and to provide better overall cellular coverage to the area.
So far this year, the department’s volunteers have responded to nearly 1,300 emergency calls — and there have been communication hiccups, including an incident when firefighters at a scene could not reach the firehouse dispatcher to request backup and EMT support — despite being just a quarter-mile from headquarters.
“I understand that resident’s feeling because if this were built within 50 feet of my house, my first reaction would be ‘No way, I don’t want to see that,’ ” said Supervisor Tim Hubbard. “But when I look at the whole picture — I call [first responders] having a heart attack and I can’t get help to come here because I can’t get through to EMS — that far outweighs any concern I have about a tower that’s put up within 50 feet of my house.”
Nicholas DiPirro, a Wading River resident since 1983, spoke in support of the communications tower and urged the crowd to think of the impact the structure would have on the community as a whole, not just on residences surrounding the firehouse. He recalled an incident years back where he advocated for more stop signs on a heavily trafficked road, which many neighbors were against — until a child died in a car accident in the area.
“Everybody ran to me to sign that petition to have the stop signs installed,” he said. “Does someone have to die before this cell communications tower is approved? I hope not.”
A memorandum of opposition to the project was filed on Nov. 18 with 25 Wading River residents listed — a majority of whom live near the firehouse. Their main concerns are the aesthetic impacts of the tower, such as the disruption to the community character, as well as how it may decrease their property values.
The residents also worried about the potential health risks of being exposed to low intensity radio frequency or microwave radiation emitting from the structure. Many understand the need for better communication service in the area, but urged the Town Board to consider alternate locations for the tower.
Certified letters were sent to St. John the Baptist Church, The Rock Golf Club and The Shoppes at East Wind inquiring about their interest in hosting the tower, but the town did not receive responses.
“I feel like the sense is take one for the team,” said Joanne Romano of Wading River. “ I feel for everybody, but I don’t feel that I should take one for the team, I don’t feel like [Mr. Hubbard is] taking one for the team or this board is taking one for the team. If we’re going to take one for the team, why don’t we find money to make a better solution for this.”
Several visibility studies and photographic simulations were conducted by the applicant to visually show the need for better service in the area, but Merrick-based attorney Andrew Campanelli, who is representing the opposed residents, called the documentation“garbage.”
He argued that the applicant omitted the photographic perspective of the homes surrounding the proposed tower and noted the dangers of structural failures, ice and debris falling from the tower as well as potential risk of fire.
He also stated that a more accurate way of pinpointing service gaps in the area would have been through a “drive test,” where an engineer tests the radio frequencies of wireless signals by driving around, collecting data through calls or other indicators and recording where the signal strength drops.
“If you even wanted to conduct a Monroe Balancing Test — which you shouldn’t do — you’d have to weigh the benefit to the community against the adverse impacts that would be sustained by the community, the homeowners,” Mr. Campanelli said. “You have zero evidence in the record to establish that anyone would derive any benefit whatsoever in Riverhead or anywhere else if this 21-story tower is built 50 feet from someone’s home — it would be the most irresponsible decision I’ve seen by any board anywhere.”
Following the meeting, Mr. Campanelli said that in talking with the residents he represents, he believes they are considering legal action.
Mr. Rothwell said the idea of the communications tower has been in the works for more than four years and he emphasized that it has been a long and meticulous process to arrive at this final decision.
“I just want people to understand when they read this resolution, we really haven’t skipped a beat or a step in any way,” the councilman said. “It has been looked at and overexamined in more detail from [the Planning Board office] than any other typical application that comes before us.”
