The hulking 5G towers that have outraged New Yorkers will finally get the Federal review that the Conservancy and others have called for.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) finally announced that the 32-foot tall towers will be subject to environmental and historic preservation review and approval requirements.
That decision came in a letter from the FCC to City Bridge, LLC, which has a franchise agreement with the City to build the towers. Proposed towers must go through the review before they could be erected. Towers already constructed will also be subject to review and compliance.
The FCC action came shortly after Representative Jerry Nadler wrote the FCC demanding a review of towers in City historic districts.
“On its face”, Nadler wrote, the design and large footprint of the towers are “out of context with the historic nature of these neighborhoods and negatively affect the coherent streetscape of districts.”
Additionally, several State and City elected officials are urging the State Historic Preservation Office to pause further construction of the towers.
Residents have been appalled and irate at the appearance of the towers with little or no warning or explanation. Many of the 5G towers will carry advertising.
The Conservancy joined sister organizations in a letter to City Hall last January criticizing the chaotic and opaque rollout of the towers and asking for further explanation. The response showed how opaque the City can be.
The public will now have a chance to comment as the towers go through Section 106 reviews of the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.
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