Plan for cell tower at St. James' Knox School on ice after Nissequogue ruling

Plans for a 140-foot cell tower on the grounds of a St. James private school, with sweeping waterfront views, are on hold after the proposal failed to conform to criteria for coastline development, officials said.

LI Smart Solutions LLC has sought a special use permit to build the sky blue-painted tower on the campus of the 40-acre Knox School, which overlooks Stony Brook Harbor, in a bid to boost cell service on the North Shore. The Village of Nissequogue's planning board was weighing early approvals for the tower, which would be inside a 50-foot by 50-foot fenced-in compound.

But the board ruled the request was inconsistent with policies set forth in the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, which steers development along the coastline in the neighboring villages of Nissequogue and Head of the Harbor. The document, which was adopted in 1991, is a template for land and water use that prioritizes the protection of natural resources. 

The guidelines are meant to preserve the rural character of the villages as well as scenic views of Stony Brook Harbor and other waterways.

The board’s ruling clashed with guidelines requiring structures to be built “to retain views, save open space and provide visual organization to a site." Also, the ruling said, the completed structure should be “a harmonious complement” to nearby properties and the overall area.

Residents had opposed the cell tower project, arguing it would look industrial and detract from the village’s rural aesthetic.

Laurel Mooney, a member of LI Smart Solutions LLC, said in a recent interview that the company had conducted “an exhaustive site search." It landed on the Knox School, which is on Long Beach Road and opened in 1904.

The project is key to improving cell coverage, which drops off in several areas due to the village's topography. That poses safety issues, she said. For example, if cell service is dead, people requiring rescue on the Nissequogue River are unable to make emergency calls.

“There is a critical service gap within the Village of Nissequogue,” Mooney said. “This has been a dead zone since the beginning of time … this facility will fulfill the coverage gap.”

The equipment would be stored on the southwest corner of the school's campus where there are woodlands, landscaping and an asphalt-paved driveway. An 8-foot-tall chain link fence would surround the tower.

The planning board said the applicant did not show “the action is the least intrusive feasible" alternative.

The motion also cited a letter from Michael Braaten, chairman of a joint board between both Nissequogue and Head of the Harbor. The Joint Coastal Management Commission is charged with making sure building applications comply with the waterfront program's policies.

The board invited the applicant to modify the application and meet with the planning board to make fixes.

Nissequogue Mayor Richard Smith said the applicant has 60 days from March 2, the ruling date, to revise the application to satisfy village standards. 

Mooney declined to specify next steps but said she was "optimistic that public safety will be the leading force for an approval of our special use permit.”

Jennifer Smith Huntley, 76, a Nissequogue homeowner, said she supports a new cell tower.

Huntley, a former planning board member, said it's difficult for residents to make emergency phone calls throughout the village.

“Driving down Long Beach Road, there’ll be a space where it just says ‘SOS’ on your phone; there’s nothing,” said Huntley. 

Andrew J. Campanelli, a Merrick-based attorney, represents some nearby homeowners who oppose the tower. He said the tower does not fit with the village's aesthetic and would lower residents' property values.

Homeowners may be open to a proposal in a location that is "less intrusive" if the developers can make a case for one.

"My clients aren't against all cell towers," Campanelli said. "The board did the right thing. They applied the code."