Politics & Government
Court Will Decide Fate of Manorhaven Cell Tower
Village officials say the cell phone tower issue is out of their hands at this point.
The Mayor of the Village of Manorhaven is up for re-election in June along with two trustees and what a harrowing two years it has been. Thursday night's monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees was a repeat of the last several months — about 25 residents angry about the cell phone tower on Pequot Avenue attended, yet didn't find solace.
Village Attorney Gerard Terry reiterated a few points pertaining to the cell tower for those in attendance. "The lease between Manorhaven and AG Towers was signed, sealed and delivered under the previous administration," Terry said. "The current site plan approval that includes basic land use was approved by the prior administration. And the permit issued by this administration is based on prior binding and legal obligations that can't be lawfully withheld."
The stop work order on the site, which was issued by David Mammina, the Superintendent of Buildings for the Village of Manorhaven, remains in effect and nothing will be done until he removes it, according to the board. Work is at a standstill although Angela Militina who lives next door to the cell tower site said, "The fact that my house is still a construction zone speaks for itself."
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Terry said that it's out of the village's hands at this point. "The situation is in the courts and needs to be played out," he said.
In other words, it's up to the lawyers and nothing of substance will be said until there are some judicial decisions. Manorhaven resident Michael Galluzzio added, "We don't want it swept under the rug."
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Mayor Michael T. Meehan voiced his disapproval of the cell tower. "There is no reason to have a cell phone tower in a residential neighborhood," he said.
In response to the mayor's opinion, Terry added, "It's not appropriate turf for elected officials to talk about alternative sites given the constraints of the Telecommunications Act of 1996."
In unrelated village news, the 2010 budget was distributed at the meeting and will be discussed at a public hearing on Wednesday, April 7, at the Village Hall.
