Hearing on Maspeth Cell Phone Tower Postponed Again

Assemblywoman Margaret Markey vows to continue to work with neighbors to oppose Omnipoint proposal to locate “flagpole” cell tower in residential area

June 15, 2008

A second hearing on a variance application to permit construction of a “flagpole” cell phone transmitter in a residential neighborhood in Maspeth has been postponed once again. Assemblywoman Margaret Markey says that the follow-up hearing on the plan before the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA), scheduled for June 17, will now take place on August 19.

The subject before the BSA is a variance application by Omnipoint Communications, Inc. (T-Mobile) to permit construction of a “flagpole style” cell phone transmitter mounted on the roof of a residential building at 53-20 72nd Place. If installed, it would be a total of 56 feet high – the equivalent of a five story building in a neighborhood of one and two family homes.

Assemblywoman Markey said, “I will continue to stand with property owners, community leaders and residents of the immediate neighborhood to speak out in the strongest terms against this proposal. Those who live in Maspeth work hard to improve our community and the location of this proposed transmitter is totally inappropriate for a residential neighborhood.”

This is the third time the proposal has been postponed since the original hearing in January 29th. Just prior to a scheduled April 15th public hearing, the Omnipoint attorneys asked for additional time to prepare information requested by the BSA commissioners. They requested this new adjournment in a letter to BSA dated May 27, 2008.

The Maspeth delegation organized by Assemblywoman Markey at the January 29th hearing included local residents and neighbors from the affected block. As she did in January, Assemblywoman Markey will provide free bus transportation to the rescheduled August 26th public hearing. For information please call Assemblywoman Markey’s office at 718-651-3185.

The cell phone tower proposal has been opposed by local civic organizations, Community Board Five, the Queens Borough Board and every public official representing the area, including Borough President Helen Marshall and Congressman Joseph Crowley.

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