Suffolk County lawmakers eye cellphone towers on county-owned parkland

West Hills County Park in Huntington Station. Suffolk legislators are eyeing a proposal to allow for the construction of cellphone towers on county-owned parkland. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Suffolk legislators will vote next week to consider a bill allowing wireless cellphone towers to be built on county-owned parkland.
A resolution to allow parkland to be considered for wireless facilities was approved Wednesday morning by a 5-0 vote in the county legislature’s Committee on Governmental Operations, Personnel and Information Technology.
The legislature is considering opening parkland for cellphone towers to fill coverage gaps and also sharing towers "to ensure those in our parks can be reached in case of an emergency," according to the resolution. The proposal said the wireless towers could generate "considerable revenue" that "could be used to acquire, enhance, and maintain county parkland, nature preserves, or open space."
Democratic Minority Leader Jason Richberg (D-Wyandanch) abstained from the vote. He requested a report on general connectivity and broadband issues showing a need for expanded service.
The full county legislature will consider the proposal at its meeting on Tuesday, but officials said there are no specific plans to build cellphone towers in any Suffolk parks.
Cellphone towers are currently built in other parks in New York, including Adirondack Park, according to the Adirondack Park Agency.
Any plans to build on parkland would require a review by the county's wireless committee and a request for a park alienation, which must be approved by the State Legislature.
"We’re not rushing to put cellphone towers in county parks. All this does is to allow the wireless committee the possibility," the legislature’s presiding officer, Kevin McCaffrey (R-Babylon), said after the meeting. "The alienation of parkland is a long process before any towers can be built in county parks."
Additional towers may be needed for first responders and residents who lack cell service, particularly along the North and South shores, McCaffrey said. The county has worked to connect with towers in town parks, such as on barrier beaches in Babylon, he said.
"There are certain areas of the county that don't have sufficient cell service for residents and emergency services. In the past, there has been difficulty in reaching workers in the field," McCaffrey said. "If they were to do that and we found a need, we would consider it in those parks, but currently we can’t even do this."
Some environmental advocates told Newsday the county could explore adding cellphone towers, but said it should not disturb the environment or clear regulations for future park development.
"Our primary concern is the precedent we would set for using parkland for private and business use," said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "That’s a dangerous precedent. However, finding locations for these towers that are away from homes, schools and shopping areas is quite challenging."
She said if the county explores adding towers, they should be built in areas of parks with existing pavement that would not disturb vegetation.
Andrew Campanelli, a Merrick attorney who specializes in cellphone tower litigation, said the county’s proposal should consider proximity to homes and businesses. But he noted building towers in remote areas is more expensive for contractors. He said any towers built should not disrupt parkland and include a clearance zone for falling ice or debris.
"Open space is better because if you build in the pine barrens it doesn’t affect anyone, but costs developers money," Campanelli said. "It’s cheaper to be in a park rather than in the woods where no one can see it."
Suffolk legislators will vote next week to consider a bill allowing wireless cellphone towers to be built on county-owned parkland.
A resolution to allow parkland to be considered for wireless facilities was approved Wednesday morning by a 5-0 vote in the county legislature’s Committee on Governmental Operations, Personnel and Information Technology.
The legislature is considering opening parkland for cellphone towers to fill coverage gaps and also sharing towers "to ensure those in our parks can be reached in case of an emergency," according to the resolution. The proposal said the wireless towers could generate "considerable revenue" that "could be used to acquire, enhance, and maintain county parkland, nature preserves, or open space."
Democratic Minority Leader Jason Richberg (D-Wyandanch) abstained from the vote. He requested a report on general connectivity and broadband issues showing a need for expanded service.
The full county legislature will consider the proposal at its meeting on Tuesday, but officials said there are no specific plans to build cellphone towers in any Suffolk parks.
Cellphone towers are currently built in other parks in New York, including Adirondack Park, according to the Adirondack Park Agency.
Any plans to build on parkland would require a review by the county's wireless committee and a request for a park alienation, which must be approved by the State Legislature.
"We’re not rushing to put cellphone towers in county parks. All this does is to allow the wireless committee the possibility," the legislature’s presiding officer, Kevin McCaffrey (R-Babylon), said after the meeting. "The alienation of parkland is a long process before any towers can be built in county parks."
Additional towers may be needed for first responders and residents who lack cell service, particularly along the North and South shores, McCaffrey said. The county has worked to connect with towers in town parks, such as on barrier beaches in Babylon, he said.
"There are certain areas of the county that don't have sufficient cell service for residents and emergency services. In the past, there has been difficulty in reaching workers in the field," McCaffrey said. "If they were to do that and we found a need, we would consider it in those parks, but currently we can’t even do this."
Some environmental advocates told Newsday the county could explore adding cellphone towers, but said it should not disturb the environment or clear regulations for future park development.
"Our primary concern is the precedent we would set for using parkland for private and business use," said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "That’s a dangerous precedent. However, finding locations for these towers that are away from homes, schools and shopping areas is quite challenging."
She said if the county explores adding towers, they should be built in areas of parks with existing pavement that would not disturb vegetation.
Andrew Campanelli, a Merrick attorney who specializes in cellphone tower litigation, said the county’s proposal should consider proximity to homes and businesses. But he noted building towers in remote areas is more expensive for contractors. He said any towers built should not disrupt parkland and include a clearance zone for falling ice or debris.
"Open space is better because if you build in the pine barrens it doesn’t affect anyone, but costs developers money," Campanelli said. "It’s cheaper to be in a park rather than in the woods where no one can see it."
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