Maspeth cell phone tower hearing postponed

For the fourth time, Omnipoint Communications, Inc. (T-Mobile) has asked for a postponement of the second hearing on its much criticized proposal to construct a cell phone transmitter in a residential area in Maspeth.
The hearing before the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA), which was supposed to take place on August 19, has been rescheduled for November 18, said Assemblywoman Margaret Markey, a critic of the cell phone tower plan.
T-Mobile’s proposal, which calls for installing the transmitter on the roof of a residential building at 53-20 72nd Place, has Maspeth residents worried that the three-foot-wide, 27-foot tall structure would be out-of-character in a residential neighborhood with low blocks.
“I think this new postponement means that Omnipoint is getting the message about our vigorous opposition to their proposal,” said Markey.
Omnipoint asked the BSA for the postponement in a letter dated August 4. “Omnipoint will continue to work toward its goal of finding a solution that will enhance coverage in the area while balancing the concerns and suggestions of community members,” the letter reads.
The first hearing about the tower construction was held in January.