Merciless Wireless From Elmont To East Hampton

Cell Phone Tower Planned For Girl Scout Property

Those unsightly, and potentially hazardous cell towers, affronts to landscape, possible risks to health, and popping up all over Long Island.

In school yards. On front lawns. In parks. Masquerading, often shamelessly so, as oversized flag poles and gargantuan plastic pine trees.

Fighting these intrusions at town hall has become an uphill battle, with "pre-emption" the rallying cry of the cellular companies, and "our hands are tied" the retort of frustrated town officials. [Query as what would happen if every town board simply said "no"? Would federal Marshals ride into town to jail them all?]

And yet, residents have been successful, owing mainly to the power of the court of public opinion, in having such towers "voluntarily" moved to less overtly notorious sites, if not halting them altogether.

Now, another battle ensues -- on Girl Scout property in East Hampton -- and you are asked to join local advocates and engage in civic action.

From our friends out east, true grassroots activists, a call to arms. . .
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Verizon Tower and East Hampton Pristine Property owned by the Girl Scouts

Please stop the construction of a 60 ft cell tower in East Hampton on Three Mile Harbor Road. Verizon is submitted for a variance or "special permit" to the East Hampton Planning Board. You have until May 26th to send your letters in to this address protesting the tower:

Verizon Tower on Girl Scout Property
East Hampton Planning Board
300 Pantigo Place
East Hampton, NY 11937-2630

There is another tower planed for Ashawagh Hall by another company in the future. These towers will damage what we now know as pristine property and will have negative effects on our health and property values.

Thank you for your assistance on this matter.
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From the East Hampton Star:

Phone Tower

I feel like I am Don Quixote tilting at windmills, both figuratively and actually. Our magnificent East Hampton is being attacked once again. This time it is by Verizon, a company that wants to build a cellphone tower at a camp that is used by young girls near a precious, pristine beach, Camp Blue Bay and Maidstone. For a while, there was a discussion about the height of the tower so that it wouldn’t be too obvious and ugly: nonsense! Who needs it? Who wants it?

Did anyone bother to investigate whether these towers are safe? From my research the evidence is inconclusive but only because it has not been studied long enough, thus the federal government has no guidelines for cell towers. So while the jury is out, do we risk it — putting the lives of those girls and those of us who live close enough to be subjected to the electromagnetic fields in harm’s way of a cellphone tower?

Is the tower for those driving in a car and talking on the phone, so they shouldn’t lose their calls? Or is it for the Girl Scouts to receive money for the rental?

We have lived this long without sturdy cellphone reception while driving and talking in this area. Since most of us have landlines, I am convinced for the sake of the environment and the health of those who live within a quarter-mile of the tower, the tower should go the way of the one previously proposed for Ashawagh Hall: to the dump. How about Gardiner’s Island?

Sincerely,
PHYLLIS I. MALLAH