Politics & Government

T-Mobile Britannia Cell Tower Application Adjourned

The cellular communications company is reportedly being purchased by AT & T Wireless.

T-Mobile USA has asked for an adjournment for a controversial application to construct a 60-foot cellular communications tower at in Northport Village.

Saying it desired to improve service coverage, the company was seeking to construct a 60-foot high cell-phone tower at to be, as a nod to the nautical location, disguised as a boat's mast.

Disguised or not, a dozen residents of the the streets around Britannia, including Woodbine Avenue and Milland Drive,

In fact, most said they vehemently opposed the application.

Cited were concerns about: health, aesthetics, non-compliance of the existing covenant approved by the village BZA in 1988 and 'un-neighborly like conduct of the commercial boatyard's owner Peter Houmere, who was not at the hearing.

For its part, T-Mobile hired a team of experts to testify to how none of the resisdents' concerns were valid regarding the structure. It would be completely hidden and emit way less emissions than is allowed by the FCC. 

Find out what's happening in Northportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

At the conclusion of the February hearing, Board Chair Andy Cangemi adjourned the hearing until tomorrow, March 23, to give T-Mobile time to respond to the concerns and to give more neighbors an opportunity to speak their piece, as it was noted the hearing happened to take place during winter break for most Northport area schools.

Turns out it was all moot, presumably due to the purchase by AT & T Wireless of T-Mobile, as reported Sunday by the The Huffington Post.

Find out what's happening in Northportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Northport BZA Secretary Cathy Romanczyk confirmed Tuesday that "T-Mobile has asked for an adjournment."

Because T-Mobile was the only scheduled application to be before the board Wednesday, the meeting has been cancelled entirely.

The next meeting of the BZA will be held Wednesday, April 27.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Verizon bought T-Mobile. Patch regrets the error.


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