The City Council Committee on Housing and Buildings yesterday considered three separate bills to regulate cellphone antennas and equipment in the city.
"Although some feat that the antennas pose a potential health hazard," an article by Colin Moynihan in today's edition of The New York Times said that "the federal government has not determined that antennas are harmful, and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 prevents any state or local government from regulating the placement of cellular equipment based on health concerns."
The article said, however, that "council members said Wednesday that it was important to begin paying closer attention to the placement of equipment that until recently was installed with little public awareness."
"The city," the article continued, "does not have a complete record of where antennas are, Councilman Peter F. Vallone Jr., said, and the number of antennas is unknown. 'Nobody has any idea of what's doing on,' Mr. Vallone said at the beginning of the hearing. 'It's like the Wild West out there.'"
The article said, however, that James P. Colgate, an assistant commissioner of the Department of Buildings, said the department was opposed to the legislation and that parts of it would be a "burden to the agency."
The proposals would require property owners to tell the city if cellular equipment impedes building inspections, and would require phone companies to place equipment in nonresidential areas whenever possible They would also have rules governing how equipment can be mounted and a requirement that community boards and city council members be notified when companies apply for permits to install such equipment as well as a 30-day waiting period before permission is granted.
The article said that John Jefferson, a vice president of eternal affairs at AT&T told the committee that "these bills are unnecessary, discriminatory and would impede the steady deployment and enhancement of the wireless infrastructure in New York City."
"Although some feat that the antennas pose a potential health hazard," an article by Colin Moynihan in today's edition of The New York Times said that "the federal government has not determined that antennas are harmful, and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 prevents any state or local government from regulating the placement of cellular equipment based on health concerns."
The article said, however, that "council members said Wednesday that it was important to begin paying closer attention to the placement of equipment that until recently was installed with little public awareness."
"The city," the article continued, "does not have a complete record of where antennas are, Councilman Peter F. Vallone Jr., said, and the number of antennas is unknown. 'Nobody has any idea of what's doing on,' Mr. Vallone said at the beginning of the hearing. 'It's like the Wild West out there.'"
The article said, however, that James P. Colgate, an assistant commissioner of the Department of Buildings, said the department was opposed to the legislation and that parts of it would be a "burden to the agency."
The proposals would require property owners to tell the city if cellular equipment impedes building inspections, and would require phone companies to place equipment in nonresidential areas whenever possible They would also have rules governing how equipment can be mounted and a requirement that community boards and city council members be notified when companies apply for permits to install such equipment as well as a 30-day waiting period before permission is granted.
The article said that John Jefferson, a vice president of eternal affairs at AT&T told the committee that "these bills are unnecessary, discriminatory and would impede the steady deployment and enhancement of the wireless infrastructure in New York City."
Architecture Critic
Carter Horsley
Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.
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