Town Notebook: New Board Appointees, Cell Tower Law and Teen Credit Counseling

Cell Tower Code Revised
The Huntington Town Board, at its May 16 meeting, approved the first comprehensive revisions to the cell phone section of the Town Code since it was enacted in 1998.

The changes, which are effective June 1, establish new procedures and criteria for the Town's Zoning Board of Appeals in considering applications for special use permits allowing construction of cell phone towers in the Town.

• Increases the oversight on aesthetic issues by requiring planning board review of landscaping and site plans before a building permit application is filed for cell towers or antennas. The legislation empowers the ZBA to require that aesthetically pleasing structures be built to house the antennas and to limit the height of new facilities for aesthetic reasons.

• Establishes tiered preferences for locating new facilities, with ones on existing structures in commercial/ industrial zones having the greatest preference and ones within 500 feet of a school carrying the least preference.

• Requires pre-application conferences and provides for continuing inspections to determine compliance with the provisions of a special use permit.

• Requires all applications for new facilities on Town-owned, leased or controlled property to undergo a review by the Town Board, which would hold a public hearing and apply the same standards used by the Zoning Board of Appeals in granting special use permits for facilities on private property.

Appointments, Reappointments
The appointed and reappointed members of the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and Huntington Housong Authority to fill vacancies.

The Planning Board appointments are: Paul Mandelik, David Pennetta, David Walsdorf, Kathleen A. Casey, Marilyn G. Healy and Leslie Cernava. The ZBA appointments are: Christopher Modelewski, Robert Slingo, Carol Gaughran, Jeffrey Naness and Edward Perez. The Housing Authority appointees are Robert Fonti, John Perri, Barry Lites and Barry Turk.

As reported in a previous article,

Teen Credit Education
Councilwoman Glenda Jackson is cosponsoring a one night Youth Financial Forum with SafeGuard Credit Counseling to high school students and their parents on Wednesday, May 25 in the Town Board Room at Huntington Town Hall from 7p.m. to 9p.m.

SafeGuard Credit Counseling is a nonprofit organization offering credit counseling and financial education services to consumers.

The two-hour program is designed to teach young adults about the importance of setting budgetary guidelines, realistic savings goals and responsible spending.

"It's very easy these days for our youth to be tempted by credit card companies offering a shimmering new means of purchase power," stated Councilwoman Glenda Jackson.

Attendees will have an opportunity to speak with various representatives from the financial, banking and insurance industries who can help provide important advice and information. Those in attendance will have an opportunity to enter a free drawing for tickets to a ballgame.

For additional information, please contact Councilwoman Jackson's office at 631-351-3171 or via e-mail to: gjackson@town.huntington.ny.us .