Smithtown to hold public hearing on proposal to increase cell tower height

The Smithtown Town Board postponed a public hearing Thursday night on increasing the height of a cellphone antenna system at the Paul J. Fitzpatrick Country Club in Smithtown from 75 feet to 125 feet. Town board members voted unanimously to reschedule the public hearing for Nov. 21.

Smithtown Supervisor Patrick Vecchio said the town is awaiting approval from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which oversees the tower area located in the Wild, Scenic, and Recreational Rivers System corridor.

The height change requires a more extensive review under the town’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.

Vecchio said the town wants the tower to be heightened to improve communications for emergency and fire departments.

The new height would allow Site Tech Wireless LLC to put more carriers on the tower, because antennas must be separated by 10 feet per carrier, said Smithtown planning director Frank DeRubeis.

The antenna is about 1,000 feet from the closest neighbors. Although there have been complaints about limited service in the area, DeRubeis said, “it might be visible to the community and there may be people who object to that.”