A proposal to place a cellular tower on top of a 72nd Place house has been complicated by backlash from neighbors and attempts by the property owner to get out of the contract.Cell Antenna on House a Tough Sell
Community Board 5’s Land Use Committee on Monday unanimously voted against the proposal by Omnipoint to place a 25-foot tower on top of Joseph Wroblewski’s house at 53-20 72nd Place.
On Tuesday, Wroblewski said he is trying to get out of his contract with Omnipoint due to the negative reaction from his neighbors.
[Assemblywoman Marge] Markey confirmed she is working with Omnipoint to find a better location. “We’re trying to see if we can avoid having this installed on top of a residential building in our community,” she said Monday.
This is typical of western Queens elected officials. Instead of saying, "We don't want this in our neighborhood, now get the hell out," as is done in other parts of the borough, city and country, our politicians try to help those with bad plans for our communities in order to spare them a financial hardship. We are told over and over that we must "compromise". That's the buzzword. Instead of standing in solidarity to fight intrusion, our elected officials invite the enemy in then try to convince us that they won a victory because they were able to tell them which table to sit at. Pathetic.
36 comments:
I'm not a fan of Marge, but she made the right call. We all have cell phones and don't want dropped calls. Cell towers are needed for cell phone service. If we don't want the cell towers, then we should throw away our cell phones also. How many people do you think would give up the capability to call from the subway to say that they'll be home in 5 minutes?
When you get things wrong, you REALLY get things wrong. A private homeowner contracted with a private company to put up a cell tower. Nothing illegal, and in this country, private people have a right to contract. The cell company has every right to hold to the contract. The politicians cannot and should not be able to just force them to go away. This is not a dictatorship. The politician is trying to work with the cell company because they are being asked to give up privately negotiated, perfectly legal contractual right. The homeowner agreed to this situation in the first place, not the politician.
If you think there should be regulations restricting cell towers, you work to develop the regulations through the democratic process, you don't have the government strong-arm private citizens. Also, we need cell towers in order to use our cell phones, but they should be in appropriate locations.
Assemblywoman Marge Markey confirmed she is working (That's a change) with Omnipoint to find a better location.
Marge Markey is the most ineffective, lazy Pol I have ever witnessed in this area. She is so slow to grasp an issue and allways responds only after people ask where she is on an issue (Duh is usually the feedback) Maybe this time she is looking to move the tower to her house to make some bucks! If Galliger is coniving and possibly criminal - Marge is stupid and we are stupider for keeping her in office.
"The cell company has every right to hold to the contract."
Except when they knew they needed a variance in order to get their tower. The politicians have the power to make sure that doesn't happen, but instead want to help the cell phone company at the expense of the health and quality of life of the taxpayers they are supposed to represent. Stupid.
A lot of people in Maspeth don't have cell phones.
"Nothing illegal, and in this country, private people have a right to contract."
And the Board of Standards and Appeals has the right to say no. And Markey has the duty to do what her constituents want, and this includes writing letters and appearing at BSA to protest the application.
Have you seen the development across the street from Markey's house on 69th Street? Maybe they should move it there...the tower might cause her brain waves to start functioning.
Nothing illegal, and in this country, private people have a right to contract.
People also have the right to protest and pressure their elected officials to vote or act a certain way.
"When you get things wrong, you REALLY get things wrong."
I think you must be talking about yourself. The decision on whether or not the cell tower is erected is made by the Board of Standards and Appeals, not the homeowner. So the existence of a contract actually has nothing to do with it. Markey should lobby BSA to reject the application. That would void the contract and the problem would be solved. Why is she going out of her way to help the cell company?
You should have no sympathy for a company that contracts for something clearly in violation of the zoning laws and relies on its lawyers to score a variance from inept, developer-friendly pols. Markey doesn't owe this company anything. Why does she giving them equal standing with her constituents?
If the tower isn't approved, Omnipoint will put one up somewhere else nearby, and the BSA will approve it because we need cell towers in order to use our cell phones. By your logic, we should set ourselves back 20 years and not have cell phones so that we don't have to have any cell towers anywhere.
"A lot of people in Maspeth don't have cell phones."
WHAT?!?!
Where do you get your info?
Maybe the person who made the contract with Omnipoint might need the money to keep his house so it does not get sold and replaced with a McMansion.
people in Maspeth must be pretty cool judging by the fact that:
"A lot of people," there, "don't have cell phones."
Joe Wroblewski contracted with Omnipoint to have a 25 (yes) 25-foot tower erected on a 2-family residential structure -- on a residential block consisting of 2-family homes. He tried to pass this through last year, but the Building's Department turned it down. He needs a variance, or special permit from the Board of Standards and Appeals. From what I see here -- no variance, no contract. The contract would be null and void. Mr. Wroblewski contacted Ms. Markey for help and she is trying to find another location for the 25-foot tower. Oh, Mr. Wroblewski will get a finders fee. I'm sure Omnipoint will make a generous contribution to Ms. Markey's political campaign. By the way, I hear the other location is on top of the Maspeth Pet Store on Grand Avenue -- right across the street from P.S. 58. Ms. Markey should read up on the ramifications of radiation from these towers. Oh, by the way you have I.S.73 two blocks away from there. If the variance is approved, the tower will be in place for 20-years. Calling all oncologists -- time to set up practice in Maspeth. You will have plenty of customers. Ms. Markey would do well for her constituents by banning huge cell phone towers in residential areas and relegating them to industrial areas. She shouldn't be cozying up to Omnipoint, she should be cozing up to her constituents -- If she wants to keep her job.
Vallone made a big point about cell phone towers as the Woodside Houses, a stone's throw from his district had them.
I always thought the issue was not cell towers, but the payment of fees and liscenses. (wink wink)
It's all about the money. The name of the game is GREED. I'm not against progress, but this 25 foot tower is huge. Why can't they put it in the industrial part of town? Then they could make it as high as they want. If this goes through, no one will be able to sell their house. Property values will plummet and everyone in need of making a fast buck will have them on their houses. It will change the character of the neighborhood.
Assemblywoman Marge Markey is by far the most ineffective, lazy and do-nothing politician in the history of Maspeth.
Can you list three things she has accomplished in all of the years she's been warming that assembly seat?
DUMP MARKEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A lot of people have cell phones in Maspeth and for the most part they work fine. Most people also have Verizon as their carrier. Omnipoint is T-Mobile. Not a very good carrier. Why can't they make these transmitters smaller in stature? People wouldn't mind a cell tower if it wasn't such an eyesore.
Doesn't Marge know that she lives in Maspeth and will suffer the long-term effects of radiation just like the rest of us if these towers are approved? Maybe she won't get elected the next time and will move out of Maspeth. Maybe that' her plan. She'll take the money from Omnipoint and run, just like Mr. Wroblewski.
"...there are 194 cellular antennas in Queens alone, according to a 2005 report by the city Department of Buildings. T-Mobile says it has six antennas within a mile of Wroblowski’s home." - Queens Courier
It has 6 antennas within a mile? Why do they need another one then? There are so many of those transmitters on buildings and things.
"It has 6 antennas within a mile? Why do they need another one then?"
an interesting question that probably has an equally interesting answer.
Perhaps phone companies put up antennas not so much to improve transmission as to stake out their territory.
A cell tower on the roof of a private home in a dense residential neighborhood? Ballhoo for the homeowner for trying to make a buck - big bucks if that location is a dead spot problem - but no thanks. If I were a homeowner within the vicinity of this house I would terrorize the owner in backing down - I would throw rocks at the homeowner's head for endangering my family and devaluing my property. Enough is enough. Marge Markey is a complete idiot, a laughing stock if you will has no knowlege of the issues in her district. Term limits should be imposed on State seats to prevent Pols like her to damage our area for so long. Joe Crowley is another POL - started out well and now wants to make over this area like the Bronx an area he represents. They like him there - he probably is pushing for the illegal alien licenses. Enough is enough - how much more can the middle struggling class be spat (Spitzered) upon?
Markey sucked her way up the political ladder......
starting with a patronage position , I believe,
that she held under Claire Shulman
(another one of our borough's malevolent dim wits) !
Marge puts the capital "H" in political hack !
Assemblywoman Marge Markey must NOT be re-elected in 2008. Someone please run against her. I will personally go door-to-door to see that this idiot is not GIVEN another term.
Homeowners in Maspeth deserve a fighter not a hack.
Lets see people that run without oppostion:
That guy in North Korea
That guy that ran Iraq.
Our little Margie!
There's a difference between a cellular antenna and a cell tower. A 25 foot structure on top of a 2-family house is obscene. You get paid more for a tower than you do an antenna. Hence the tower will bring Greedy Mr. Wroblewki $2,000 a month for 20 years (length of lease), if he gets the variance from the BSA. We have to make sure that variance does not go through. Wroblewski is going to retire on that money and will surely move to another state. Meanwhile, his neighbors (the very people that built his business) will suffer the consequences. Boycott the store. This guy is going to cut and run and the neighbors will be left holding the bag. Maybe he can take Marge with him.
It's time for Marge Markey to go. It's been time for her. She's way past her prime. She hasn't done anything for this community in a long, long time. When she does something, (a rarity) it's something that the community doesn't want. She was instrumental in building P.S.58, an elementary school 2 blocks from I.S.73, a junior high school (majority of the kids bussed in). Just try driving down Grand Avenue or 57th avenue on a weekday morning. Traffic is at a standstill. Kids and double-parked cars everywhere. The school is already over-crowded and there's talk about expanding. Thanks Marge! Just keep adding more people to our already overcrowded little town. Please, someone -- anyone -- RUN AGAINST HER. All that is required is half a brain and some common sense.
I agree -- Impose term limits on State Seats. Once these hacks get elected, they get comfortable and never want to move on. I would welcome new ideas and would like to see someone that would advocate for the community, not someone who panders to big business for a political kick-back to fund their next campaign. Throw the Bums Out! TERM LIMITS FOR STATE SEATS.
MARGE MARKEY IS SO INCOMPETENT IT'S PATHETIC. DOES ANYONE REMEMBER HER FIGHTING FOR ANYTHING IN MASPETH?
maspeth residents might switch service providers from Omnipoint related ones to some other telephone company that employs less aggresive tactics.
"would throw rocks at the homeowner's head for endangering my family and devaluing my property. Enough is enough. Marge Markey is a complete idiot, a laughing stock if you will has no knowlege of the issues in her district."
I do not endorse and retract my statement throwing rocks at the homeowners head or anyone's head for that matter. Not what I advocate as a lawful citizen and human being repecting another human being - so I retract and appologize for it. I do get angry and heated when people like this don't know any better and emotions run high when neighbors consider or do things to disrupt those around them. Do the right thing by expressing and organizing viewpoints to get results not rocks at heads, My thoughts on Marge Markey stand.
Well, the problem is of course the sorry-assed newspapers in Queens, but you got to blame the passiveness of people in general.
It is so easy to divide a community. Without an effort for public education to wake up neighborhoods it will be almost impossible to make forward progress.
The Manhattan guys are loath to share any goodies with us, and they will do everything they can to have second stringers run thing here, from politicians to civic leaders.
It looks like Marge Markey and Myra Baird Herce
are using the same hairdresser to get their
hair dyed a fire red shade !
I live in Maspeth and presently am nearing the end of a VZW contract. I am not renewing the contract and I'm planning to switch to T-Mobile.
Personally, I think Markey is doing the right thing engaging the Company to find a more suitable site for it's tower. When T-Mobile has more towers its service will have far fewer dropped calls. How many towers does Verizon have. Verizon, that nickels and dimes you to death for every little thing that other providers include in the overall.
I have Verizon and my son has T-Mobile. We communicate regularl and we do not experience dropped calls. I have also given up my land line that Verizon was charging an arm and a leg for even though it wasn't being used.
It's about time Maspeth moved into the 21st century. We are last to get everything because of old farts who don't have any real ties to the community anymore except as a convenient stopover on their way to the Catskills when it gets too hot down in Florida.
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