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Margaret Diaz moved into her home on Pitkin Avenue in Ozone Park just two years ago, but she is ready to move.That’s because of the 82-foot-high cell phone tower erected late last month directly across the street from the house she rents.
“They said they sent out notices, but they didn’t,” said Diaz. “They didn’t notify anyone. I’m going to be moving out with this thing here.”
The tower, currently in use by T-Mobile, stands on land owned by the Mokom Sholom Cemetery. The owners of the cemetery, who authorized the use of its space, could not be reached for comment.
The city commissioned construction of a 10-foot extension to the tower, which will be used as part of the New York City Wireless Network (NYCWiN). NYCWiN is a high-speed information system designed to give the “city’s emergency responders high-speed data access to support large file transfers, fingerprints, mug shots, city maps, and full-motion, streaming video; and will also support a host of other public service applications,” according to the web site for the Department of Information Technology & Telecommunications (DoITT).
A spokesperson for DoITT said that they have contacted Borough President Helen Marshall and City Councilmember Joseph Addabbo for approval.
“T-Mobile believes that Ozone Park residents deserve the peace of mind that comes with expanded wireless coverage - the ease of staying connected to the important people in their lives, and to improved access to emergency services,” said Jane Builder, Senior Manager for External Affairs for T-Mobile.
“ . . . Our new installation at 80-35 Pitkin Avenue will allow area residents to benefit from enhanced wireless coverage. We believe that this location represents the optimal balance between the needs of wireless users and the concerns of residents - many of whom are wireless customers today.”
Builder continued, “The wireless industry is closely regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which sets rigorous science-based guidelines and exacting standards designed to ensure the protection of residents’ health and safety. T-Mobile antennas operate well within national safety guidelines established by the FCC.”
Two of Diaz’ neighbors said they had not received prior notice of the construction. Daniel Rios, however, said he received a notice in the mail. “They asked if I had any objections, and they were going to have a meeting about it,” said Rios, who said he has lived at his house on Pitkin Avenue for 40 years. “I knew way before it was up.”
Betty Braton, chair of Community Board 10, told The Courier that the application for the tower had been submitted about a year ago, and that it had been previously approved by the city.It came before the Community Board and was approved with the condition that it be shorter than the originally proposed height of 90 feet, she said.
“It’s a balancing act between the system the city requires for public safety and everyone [else],” said Braton. “Eighty-two feet makes for a pretty big pole.”
Diaz said she feared that the tower could pose a danger to public health, but a technician on site said that unless someone is high above the ground - near the top of the tower - it poses no threat.
“Radiofrequency emissions from antennas used for wireless transmissions such as cellular and personal communication systems signals result in exposure levels on the ground that are typically thousands of times less than safety limits,” wrote the Health Physics Society on their web site. “Therefore, there is no reason to believe that such towers could constitute a potential health hazard to nearby residents or students.”
The issue will be on the agenda at the next meeting of Community Board 10 on Thursday, June 5.
