Manorhaven residents used most of the village’s Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday to raise concerns over a cell tower on Pequot Avenue that has been an issue for years.
Currently, the village is discussing pursuing a settlement with AG Tower over the structure.
The tower, built by AG Tower, has been unpopular ever since it was approved in 2008. Residents said they felt that the tower, located on Manhasset Isle, gave off radiation that could pose a health risk and was an eyesore.
In 2012, the village filed a lawsuit saying that the terms of the lease violated a board resolution. In 2008, then-Mayor Nicholas Capozzi signed a lease for 55 years but the board had only approved a five-year lease. Construction was halted while the case went to court, upon which it was discovered that the cell tower did not follow the approved site plan.
The lawsuit was defeated, and an appeal missed the statute of limitations.
Resident Barbara Mallon suggested that the trustees could update the village code to be more strict on radiation. Concerning the current case in appellate court, she wanted the cell tower to be removed completely.
“A settlement means a compromise by both sides,” said village Attorney Steven Leventhal. “The more likely result is not shut it down, turn it off … it would be something like, ‘take that 55-year lease and turn it into an x-number of years lease.”
The board did have a few more items on their agenda. They included a change to the village code regarding trailers which was to be discussed at an upcoming meeting, although the village declined to say what specifically the law would change.
Also up for discussion were the addition of an all-way stop at the corner of Sagamore Hill Drive and Corchaug Avenue and no parking signs at the point of Ashwood and Edgewood Road and in front of 25 Marwood Road and 35 Norwood Road.
It was announced that the village would hold a sexual harassment training session at 3 p.m. on March 7. The session is required to be held every two years and is open to the public.
