Elected Officials Push Agencies to Drop Plans for Downtown Connectivity Towers
Following multiple resolutions by Community Board 1 stating reservations about a City plan to install fifth-generation (5G) wireless masts in the Lower Manhattan, three State Assembly members are urging government agencies with jurisdiction over the initiative to stop it.
Grace Lee, Deborah Glick, and Charles Fall recently wrote to the City’s Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) and the State’s Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to register their opposition.
Lower Manhattan “is renowned for its historic and cultural significance,” they wrote. “As the proposed locations of the cell towers in FiDi and Tribeca are in close proximity to several landmark sites, we are concerned that their installation would disrupt the aesthetic integrity of our neighborhoods. Protecting our community’s historic fabric is paramount, and we urge you to consider the potential negative impact on these cherished sites.”
Ms. Lee, Ms. Glick, and Mr. Fall continued, “we have received substantial feedback from residents who are concerned about the visual pollution the towers would introduce. The integration of technology into our urban landscape must be balanced with the needs and preferences of the community. Our constituents have expressed a desire for solutions that enhance connectivity without compromising the charm and historical context of their surroundings.”
OTI is the City Hall agency responsible for implementing the rollout of 5G towers. SHPO has oversight of any alteration to public space in historic districts, such as Lower Manhattan. Either agency could significantly alter the project, or veto it entirely.
At issue is 32-foot-tall poles equipped with antennas and transmitters that will enable high-speed wireless connectivity as part of the City’s controversial LinkNYC program, which began installing nine-foot-tall internet kiosks in Manhattan 2015, mostly in locations formerly occupied by pay telephones. Two years ago, this rollout was reprised with the debut of 5G poles, which offer improved cellular service, free Wi-Fi, and enhanced internet access to residents whose homes are located near the towers.
The letter from Ms. Lee, Ms. Glick, and Mr. Fall echoes a similar missive from CB1 chair Tammy Meltzer — co-signed by Mr. Fall, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, and City Council member Christopher Marte) to the Federal Communications Commission, the national agency that oversees wireless infrastructure. This letter stated, “our strong opposition to the proposed locations for Link5G cell towers in Lower Manhattan, particularly those sited within the 100-year floodplain, those sited in or alongside active major resiliency projects, and those sited in historic districts where the design does not align with community context.”
The seven local sites of the planned 5G towers are on sidewalks in front of 95 Wall Street, 88 Pine Street, 75 South Street, 110 William Street, Eight Spruce Street, 66 Harrison Street, and 100 North Moore Street.
In a related development, at its October 22 meeting, CB1 discussed a new resolution specific to an eighth proposed wireless installation to be attached to an existing lamppost on William Street between Beckman and Ann Streets.
The resolution urged OTI to “work with industry experts to identify alternative designs that can reduce the amount of public space needed for future installations,” and “come back with alternative installation concepts and sound rationale” for installing this wireless extension. CB1 ended up tabling this measure, because the William Street site in question is not within a legally protected historic district.