Mastic cell tower project sparks outcry

A North Carolina firm's plan to build a cellular tower on federal land behind the Mastic post office has drawn ire from residents who accuse the parties of skirting local regulations and approving the project without consulting the community.

The U.S. Postal Service is leasing the land -- behind the Montauk Highway post office -- to American Tower Corporation for $1,700 per month, a postal service spokeswoman confirmed. American Tower has an agreement with communications giant T-Mobile to install the firm's antennas on the 95-foot tower, records show.

John Sicignano, president of the 200-member Mastic Park Civic Association, said neighbors who oppose the tower were not given ample opportunity to voice concerns, in part because the tower is slated to rise on federal property and is not subject to typical Brookhaven Town approvals.

The complaints have reached as far as Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton), who is looking into whether the tower plan was approved fairly, and whether the use of federal property by American Tower constituted an end-run on local approvals, said his aide, Jon Schneider.

"They should have to do some vetting of the community before they come in and put in a 95-foot tower," Sicignano said. "The applicant didn't let us know until they were about to put a shovel in the ground."

Workers have begun clearing the land, which is in a patch of trees that serve as a buffer between Montauk Highway and a residential community to the south. Plans, provided by Bishop, show that a bank of trees will separate the tower from the neighborhoods.

American Tower officials in Cary, N.C., did not return numerous calls for comment. T-Mobile is a subleaser on the project and not involved in the construction, said company spokesman David Chauvin, who is based in Great Neck. The company plans to use the tower to provide service to the Mastic area, he said.

Conchetta Chirichello, a spokeswoman for the postal service, said the post office "only leases the property and is not involved in the leaser's utilization."

Schneider said about 100 of about 30,000 postal facilities nationwide serve as locations for cell towers, and four of those are in downstate New York: in Jamaica, Flushing, Hicksville and Manhattan.

The postal service has leased the land as the agency struggles with cutbacks and revenue losses. About 3,700 post offices are being reviewed for closure nationwide.

American Tower notified Brookhaven officials about the tower plan in January, records show. But Sicignano and other civic leaders said they were not informed by the tower builder until September.

"It would have been nice to know about this in January, to have conversations with the post office," Schneider said.