Letter to the Editor: Village Should Take Leadership Role in Managing Cell Phone Antenna Issue
To The Editor:
Mar. 27, 2019: As longtime residents of Bronxville, we are writing to voice our concern about the cell phone antennas AT&T/Cingular is seeking to install on the elevator tower at 7 Pondfield Road.
As shown by the standing-room-only crowd at the most recent meeting of the planning board, there are many village residents who share our concern. (To the planning board's credit, it postponed any decision-making due to lapses in the notification process, giving affected residents more time to study AT&T’s proposal and assess the impact of the new construction.)
While we recognize the need for high-quality cell phone service, we do not believe that putting the antennas of a single carrier in a single location will meet the long-term needs of this village. At present, at least three different telecom providers have antennas atop Lawrence Hospital, which has apparently decided that it no longer wants them there. If so, the village will face relocation controversy over and over again once leases run out for the respective companies.
Typical municipal guidelines ordain that cell phone antennas be placed in the following areas, in order of preference: co-location with an existing tower, municipal property, industrial property, light industrial property, business district.
By choosing the tower at 7 Pondfield Road, AT&T is aiming at the very last choice on this list – and it’s a choice that, although zoned for commercial use, is closely bordered by residential buildings, a church, and an elementary school.
We believe it is now up to the Village of Bronxville to take a leadership role in managing this problem – as it has done successfully so many times in the past. It appears that AT&T’s current lease is renewable on a month-to-month basis, giving all interested parties a terrific opportunity to get this project done right. A single carrier in a single location amounts to kicking the can down the road. We can do better than that.
Nancy and David Snell
Letters Directory
Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
Village of Bronxville Administrative Offices
337-6500
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337-0500
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