Good work, Mandingo Tshaka, on your diligence for your community of Clear Spring. I hope you get more support from your neighbors then I got from my board. Sixteen years ago, I moved into North Shore Towers only to wake up one morning to find numerous antennas on our roofs.
Community Board 13 voted 32-0 not to renew a permit with a company which for more than 30 years disregarded the terms of the permit numerous times. Last year, my friend and I followed Cal. No. 826-86-BZ thru 828-86-BZ to the city Bureau of Standards and Appeals. We were able to see the BSA renew the permit for five years instead of 10 and implement many safety regulations for egress to the roof.
We are still waiting on clarification of whether it is 75 antennas or structures, as some structures have numerous antennas. We also cannot get the copy of the city Department of Buildings inspection, since a temporary certificate of occupancy should have been issued.
According to antennasearch.com, there are 671 antennas within 4 miles of ZIP code 11005.We have presented papers to many agencies, including U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside) and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). No one seems to want to take on the Federal Communications Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Act of 2004.
The act added a requirement to “ensure that the civil rights and civil liberties of persons are not diminished by efforts, activities and programs aimed at securing the homeland,” which seems to mean nothing.
The City Council and state say they are willing to help, but the big challenge is getting the federal agencies to put the people’s best interest over the communications industry’s profits.
It is the Wild West with no controls and each agency not communicating with the other and the limited powers of each. As more landlords find themselves with smaller profits, I fear they will turn more to these cell companies.
Good luck to all who are trying to save the planet and preserve quality of life.
Barbara Leonardi
North Shore Towers
