One of the city’s most prominent politicians is saying “Not In My Backyard” after the city proposed a 32-foot high cell phone monopole in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) signed a letter to the city Landmarks Preservation Commission objecting to a dozen cell phone towers going up in historic districts along Park Avenue and Carnegie Hill, reports The New York Post.
The letter was co-signed by Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, state Sen. Liz Krueger, Assembly members Alex Bores and Rebecca Seawright and Council members Keith Powers and Julie Menin. “Today, I joined with my fellow East side elected officials raising concerns about the placement of these 5G cell towers in our historic neighborhoods without careful consideration of its effect on the community,” Nadler said in a statement.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ administration — through the Office of Technology & Innovation — is overseeing the installation of 2,000 Link5G street monopoles across the city to bolster service — including 12 in landmarked districts, The New York Post reports.
“While the project aims to expand the city’s 5G infrastructure, the proposed 32-foot towers do not blend with the existing of the Upper East Side, and have generated widespread concern throughout the community,” the letter from Nadler and other lawmakers said. “We are concerned about moving forward with a project that will have a permanent presence without hard data to confirm the actual need for these towers,” the politicians said.
The campaign to ban cell phone towers raised eyebrows and cries of hypocrisy from other political activists concerned about crime and quality of life issues, according to The New York Post. “Cell phone towers are objectionable but a jail in Chinatown is Ok?” Yiatin Chu, founder and president of the Asian Wave Alliance, asked rhetorically. One of the neighborhood jails would open in Chinatown if the Rikers Island jail complex is closed, as planned.
Political consultant Hank Sheinkopf, who resides in the Upper West side portion of Nadler’s district, called his opposition to cell phone towers “hypocritical and ridiculous.” Sheinkopf said: “We have people defecating and urinating in the street. We have increased crime. This is the best Nadler can do? Opposing cell phone towers that are going up across the city. Only poor neighborhoods are supposed to get cell phone towers? What’s wrong with this guy?”
The New York Post characterizes the liberal opposition as “reminiscent of when the Kennedy family opposed — and helped defeat — a planned electricity-generating offshore wind farm near their summer compound in Cape Cod.”
Mayor Adams, when announcing the Link5G program last July said, “accessible broadband and phone service isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity. When it comes to digital services, we know that too many New Yorkers have been left behind,” he said. “Our administration is committed to changing that and ensuring that all of our city’s residents have access to tech services, no matter where they live.”
A spokesman for the city Office of Technology and Innovation, asked about criticism from Nadler and other Upper East lawmakers, told The New York Post: “This administration believes that digital connectivity is a human right, necessary to fully participate and access opportunities in modern society. As part of our city’s ongoing efforts to bridge the digital divide, Link5G ensures reliable, ultra-fast network speed and expanded mobile coverage are equitably delivered across the five boroughs. We thank elected leaders and community members for sharing their valuable feedback and look forward to continued engagement with them as we continue the process of siting these kiosks.”
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