Cell tower The hearing was adjourned to March 3 at which time the applicant, Homeland Towers, is expected to respond to the many questions raised at the hearing.
At the three hour plus hearing attended by an overflow crowd, all but one speaker was opposed to the cell tower. While some expressed general opposition to the tower, others highlighted specific missing, or what they believed was incorrect or misleading information in the applicant’s presentation and documentation. Issues such as
- The accuracy of the wetlands delineation
- The need for a wildlife study
- Questions about the coverage gap and what areas would be served by the tower
- The feasibility of small towers on 50’ poles as an alternative to the 130’ macro tower
- The extent to which first responders have connectivity problems in the area
- The legal basis on which the town can deny an application, e.g., can it be denied for possible health issues
In response to a suggestion from Councilwoman Siegel, the applicant said he would make new information available prior to the March 3 hearing so that it could be uploaded to the town website in advance of the meeting.
Supervisor Lachterman assured residents, that despite his January 8 letter that was sent to approximately 1,500 residents within a 1.5 mile radius of the tower, no decision has been made about the application.
485b. During Public Comment, several speakers urged the Board to revisit the 485b tax incentive issue, pointing out that Supervisor Lachterman and Councilman Esposito have said at least 10 times that they supported reviewing the program adopted in 2017. They asked that the advisory committee that recommended the adoption of the tax incentive law be reconstituted and that it take a fresh look at whether the incentive was still needed. In response, Supervisor Lachterman repeated his support for the program, adding that he had already reached out to a possible committee member. Councilwoman Siegel said she would introduce a resolution at the next Board meeting calling for the committee to be reactivated and with a specific description of the issues the committee would research. Supervisor Lachterman said a resolution was not needed.
Thompson and Bender. After rejecting Councilman Gilbert’s suggestion that the annual $60,000 contract for public relations services be reduced to $30,000 so that half could be used to fund the town’s 250 celebration, the Board voted 3-2 vote, with Councilmen Siegel and Gilbert voting nay, to approve the $60,000 contract. Councilwoman Siegel then asked that the Board discuss funding for 250 at its work session next week. She said that Lynn Briggs, the person who is coordinating events and programs for 250, needed approximately $42,000 from the town to supplement funds from outside sources and that she could not proceed to sign contracts with vendors until she had the funding in place.
Battery storage. The Board adopted a resolution opposing a bill in the state legislature that would allow a state agency to approve battery storage facilities in municipalities which would have the effect of overriding the town’s ban on the facilities.
To view the meeting, click
yorktownny.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=1&clip_id=2067