Public raises health, property-value and notice concerns at Cheektowaga Verizon tower hearing

The Town Board opened and closed a public hearing May 27 on a proposal by Verizon to construct a monopole telecommunications tower at 2733 William Street near I-90. The hearing included a presentation from the applicant's attorney, technical questions from board members and multiple public comments expressing concern about health effects, property values and notice to nearby residents.

Steve Fantuzo of the law firm Nixon Peabody, appearing for Verizon, described the proposal as a 20-foot galvanized-steel monopole with a four-foot lightning rod and antennas at the proposed centerline. He said the fenced compound would be about 600 square feet on leased property owned by Public Storage Inc., with power tied into existing onsite utility lines and a backup generator. Fantuzo said Verizon had provided a radio-frequency (RF) justification (Exhibit E) and site-selection analysis (Exhibit F), noting a balloon test had been performed and that Exhibit J contains proof of compliance with FCC emissions rules.

Several residents said they were not aware of the project before the hearing. One resident, Richard of 63 Lower Court, said the only notice he received was the public hearing announcement and raised questions about health effects and property values. Patricia Kasperczak, whose family owns a house backing up to the proposed site, said the base of the tower would consume much of a small backyard and would change the character of a neighborhood her family has lived in since 1956. Another resident said the balloon used to show height had been very visible from living-room windows, and others said they had concerns about noise, screening and whether alternative locations farther from homes had been considered.

Board members asked technical questions. Councilman Michael Jasinski sought the distance to the nearest residence; Fantuzo said the nearest house is about 272 feet from the proposed tower and cited a designed break point for the structure indicating a maximum fall radius of about 62 feet if the tower were to fail, which he said was well inside the setback from homes. Board members asked the applicant to provide exhibit details on expected exposure levels (microwatts or EME levels) and Fantuzo said the RF engineers had calculated exposure and that Exhibit J documents compliance with the FCC's limits. Fantuzo also said that other carriers could potentially co-locate on the new pole if they pursued leases and approvals.

Residents raised potential impacts on property values and aesthetics. Fantuzo said Verizon's submitted studies and the site's proximity to existing utilities and Thruway-related infrastructure were factors in site selection and he said the company had adjusted siting and height in response to comments from the town planning and environmental committees.

Board members and staff acknowledged some residents' concerns about whether notice was adequate. Fantuzo said the balloon test and a public notice in the Buffalo News were performed in accordance with requirements; the town clerk added that the proposal's supporting documents were posted with the planning-board packet on the town website for prior meetings and that the public-hearing notice requirement had been met.

No final permit vote occurred at the meeting. The board opened the public hearing by motion and later closed it by motion; it did not take a final decision on the special-use permit at this session. The applicant's attorney said he would provide requested exhibit details (EME numbers, alternate-site analysis and generator/fuel specifics) to town staff. Residents urged the town to make those materials available online and asked Verizon to provide accessible material summarizing RF exposure and other safety information.

The board recorded the opening and the closing of the hearing in public session and will consider the application in subsequent planning and permitting steps.