“Not in my backyard,” says one of the city’s most prominent liberal politicians after the city proposed a 32-foot cell phone tower in Upper East Side.
Representative Jerry Nadler — which demanded city officials shut down Rikers Island – Co-sign a letter It was sent to the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission opposing the construction of dozens of cell phone towers in historic districts along Park Avenue, Carnegie Hill, and UES Historic Districts.
The letter was co-signed by Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Senator Liz Kruger, Assembly members Alex Burris and Rebecca Searight and Council members Keith Powers and Julie Menen.
The Upper East Side isn’t the only neighborhood affected. Mayor Eric Adams’ administration — through its Office of Technology and Innovation — is overseeing the installation of 2,000 Link5G street towers across the city to boost service — including 18 on Community Board 8 on UES, including 12 in landmark districts.
“Today, I join fellow elected officials on the East Side who have raised concerns about the placement of 5G cell towers in our historic neighborhoods without careful consideration of their impact on society,” Nadler said in a statement on Twitter.
“While the project aims to expand the city’s 5G infrastructure, the proposed 32-foot towers do not blend with the existing ones on the Upper East Side and have sparked widespread concern throughout the community,” the letter read.
“We are concerned about moving forward with a project that will have a permanent existence without hard data to confirm the actual need for these towers,” Paul said.
Nadler represents Manhattan’s Upper East Side as well as the West Side for the first time after congressional redistricting last year and After defeating him ex rep. Caroline Maloney in the Democratic primary.
NIMBY’s liberal campaign to ban cellphone towers has drawn astonishment and cries of hypocrisy from other political activists concerned about crime and more serious quality-of-life issues.
“Mobile phone towers are disapproved of, but is it okay to be in jail in Chinatown?”
A neighborhood prison will open in Chinatown if the Rikers Island prison complex closes as planned.
Political consultant Hank Shenkopf, who resides in the Upper West Side of the Nadler District, called his opposition to cell phone towers “hypocritical and cynical.”
We have people pooping and peeing in the street. “We’ve increased crime,” said Shenkopf.
“This is the best Nadler can do? Against the cellphone towers scattered all over the city. Only poor neighborhoods are supposed to get cellphone towers? What’s wrong with this guy?”
The liberal opposition is reminiscent of the time The Kennedy family opposed — and helped defeat — a planned offshore wind farm near their summer compound on Cape Cod.
“Accessible broadband and phone service isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity,” said Adams, when announcing the Link5G program last July.
“When it comes to digital services, we know that far too many New Yorkers have been left behind,” he said.. “Our administration is committed to changing that and ensuring that all residents of our city have access to technology services, no matter where they live.”
Politicians and residents of UES aren’t the only ones ranting about 5G towers.
ex nix Basketball star John Starks He objected when the city had one of its 32-foot 5G towers in front of a Kia dealership in Queens.
Asked about criticism from Nadler and other Upper East lawmakers, a spokesperson for the city’s Office of Technology and Innovation said, “This administration believes that digital connectivity is a human right, essential to full participation and access to opportunity in modern society.
“As part of our city’s ongoing efforts to bridge the digital divide, Link5G ensures reliable, ultra-fast network speed and equitably expanded mobile coverage across the five boroughs. We thank the elected leaders and community members for sharing their valuable feedback and look forward to continuing to engage with them as we continue the process of locating these booths.”