The Village of Flower Hill is following in the steps of a handful of other villages in the Town of North Hempstead by banning new telecommunications construction within the village.
During a public hearing Tuesday, trustees unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on the approval and construction of telecommunications facilities on any village property.
“We’re very tough on cell towers and the like, and other villages and the Town of North Hempstead have also gotten these applications,” village Administrator Ronnie Shatzkamer said. “The Town of North Hempstead has hired an attorney who specializes in telecommunications law to look at this and make recommendations, and we’re piggybacking with them, and when they make their recommendations, we will then follow suit.”
The villages of Plandome, Plandome Heights and Plandome Manor have approved similar laws after ExteNet Systems Inc., an Illinois-based company that builds cellphone infrastructure for providers, contacted the Town of North Hempstead about installing 66 nodes in the town.
Plandome and Plandome Manor both imposed six-month moratoriums, and Plandome Heights approved a law in July restricting the construction or alteration of antennas and towers without a special exception permit from the village.
Of the 66 nodes, 18 are proposed for Flower Hill.
A node is a group of transmitters and receivers connected to the service network and provides cellphone service in the area. Unlike cell towers, nodes are placed on top of existing utility poles.
No residents spoke for or against the moratorium.
