L&M Publications
Merrick Life • Bellmore Life • Freeport-Baldwin Leader • Wantagh-Seaford Citizen

T-Mobile has proposed to erect six cellphone towers on the roof of the Wantagh-Farmingdale Jewish Center on Woodbine Avenue in Wantagh. 

Residents of Wantagh Woods learned about the proposal when attorney William F. Bonesso, Esq, (Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo, Cohn & Terrana) representing T-Mobile, sent a letter to residents who live within 100 feet of the proposed project. In his letter, Mr. Bonesso wrote that a public hearing before the Town of Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals will take place on Wednesday, July 14, at 2 p.m. He also invited residents to a meeting to present the proposed project. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus on Wantagh Avenue.

Residents rallied after learning about the proposal and first met on June 30 to discuss it, said Jeanine Boiko, a neighbor. Approximately 50 people attended the meeting, which took place in a private residence. 

“I am outraged that T-Mobile sees nothing wrong with erecting six cellphone towers in a completely residential area,” said Ms. Boiko.

“I have two children under the age of five, and I now fear for their health. Why they would choose a non-industrial area to erect these radiation-emitting towers is beyond me. There should be some sort of regulation by the Town of Hempstead to keep these towers at least 1,500 feet from residential areas and schools.”

Residents of other communities agree. In nearby Merrick, two groups have been formed – MOMS (Moms of Merrick/Bellmore Speak out) and a cell tower taskforce – to  address the proliferation of cell antenna equipment in residential neighborhoods.

The Merrick Gables  Association brought a lawsuit against NextG Networks and the Town of Hempstead last year, in an effort to try and get the town to provide more stringent control over the placement of wireless equipment. The state Supreme Court ruled in favor of NextG and the Town of Hempstead.

In Wantagh, residents raise the same question. “It’s a residential community with hundreds of kids in the vicinity being exposed to potentially hazardous technology,” said Kenny Lack, who lives directly across the street form the Jewish center. “Dozens of studies show a direct correlation between RF emitting towers and cancer. T-Mobile is certainly putting business before people.”

In fact, there is an ongoing debate over the health risks from electromagnetic fields that has raged for the past 30 years. The Citizen found some studies on this issue that go back as far as 1986.

In 2003, the United Nations Earthwatch wrote that evidence “remains inconclusive due to the inability of epidemiological studies to detect small effects and a lack of consistency in results in different laboratories on the same experiment.”

The federal government took the same position when it put into effect the 1996 Telecommunications  Act. 

This legislation does not permit residents to cite health concerns as a reason to keep cell towers and equipment out of residential neighborhoods.

But many residents are still concerned. Andrew Campanelli, a federal commercial civil rights attorney attended the June 30 meeting in Wantagh.

He also represents the MOMS of Merrick and is currently in litigation with the Village of Bayville and several cellphone companies to removal more than 500 cellular transmission antennae from a top a water tower, which is located 50 feet from Bayville’s elementary school where three students have died of Leukemia and allegedly 30 percent of the staff have cancer and other serious illnesses.

He has told our sister paper, Merrick Life that cell equipment is “being banned overseas and moved 1500 feet away form schools in countries such as Germany, Taiwan and Australia. Why aren’t our children being protected, here?”  

Residents interested in attending the hearing are encouraged to do so. The hearing will take place on Tuesday, July 14 at Town of Hempstead Town Hall in Hempstead. The hearing begins at 2 p.m. 

The Citizen learned about the Wantagh proposal after our deadline. However, Ms. Boiko said the community was in the process of setting of a Facebook page and website to keep the community informed. The website will be www.dontcelloutwantagh.org. Look there for updates or call Pam Dempsey at 221-6567.

By Laura Schofer

Laura Schofer, staff writer for L&M Publications, has been recognized with several awards for many of her feature pieces published in Bellmore and Merrick Life, The Citizen and The Leader.