AT&T removes one antenna sector near Hebrew Academy; commission approves revised configuration

The Planning Commission on Dec. 6 approved a revised AT&T rooftop wireless installation at 601 Fourteenth Avenue after the applicant removed a sector that had drawn strong objections from the neighboring Lisa Kempner Hebrew Academy and nearby church groups.

AT&T and its RF consultant told the commission they had reduced the proposed installation (originally up to six panels in earlier filings) by removing “sector B,” the panel array that faced southwest toward the school. Planning staff and AT&T’s consultant reported that the modeled maximum exposure at the school façade dropped from a previously stated 3.2% of the Federal Communications Commission’s public exposure limit to about 0.04% under the revised configuration. The consultant said that indoor levels would be lower still and noted that the company will conduct post‑installation measurements and file results with the Department of Public Health as required.

More than two dozen parents, students and neighbors testified in opposition during the public comment period, describing fear for children’s health, concerns about measurement methods and requests for alternatives. Several technical commenters challenged the assumptions used in the submitted RF calculations and urged independent testing. A nearby church representative said Sunday congregants — including some with medical vulnerabilities — are directly in the path of proposed beams.

AT&T and the Bureau of Jewish Education described weeks of negotiations and the sponsor’s willingness to remove the sector as a meaningful concession. "The removal of sector B dramatically decreases the emissions from 3.2% of the FCC limit down to 0.04%," an AT&T representative said in presentation materials.

Commissioners repeatedly said public‑health policy rests largely with state/federal standards and health agencies, not land‑use review, but emphasized fairness and asked for post‑installation verification. The commission’s approval included the revised site configuration and the expectation that AT&T will provide required exposure measurements to the Department of Public Health within the regulatory timeframe and that planning staff may request follow‑up evidence if concerns persist.

The commission’s action does not obligate the Bureau of Jewish Education to install the facility; it approves the land‑use permit for the modified configuration, subject to the standard conditions and post‑installation testing requirements.