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Grand Island Town Board: Verizon cell site resurfaces

by jmaloni
Sat, Jun 23rd 2012 07:00 am

by Larry Austin

The Verizon Wireless Sandy Beach cell site issue is back.

In a letter from Nixon Peabody, representatives of Verizon Wireless, Gregory Nearpass asked the Grand Island Town Board to reaffirm the prior approval for a cell tower in Veterans Park that the board issued two years ago.

"If the Town Board is unable to take such an action by July 1, 2012, or approval from the State Legislature is not likely to occur, Verizon Wireless reserves its right to submit an application to locate the tower on other property," Nearpass wrote.

The board on July 19, 2010, approved the construction and location of a bell tower in the park, despite objections from residents near the park. Then-Assemblyman Sam Hoyt sided with residents who opposed the location of the tower, and he refused to sponsor the necessary state legislature approvals the cell tower needed to locate the tower in a park.

The board took no action during a meeting Monday at Town Hall. Supervisor Mary Cooke noted that "Verizon hasn't acted on this in the time since they've gotten our approval."

Town Attorney Peter Godfrey said there is nothing pending for the board to take action on.

"They have to submit an application for something because their current application is expired," Cooke said.

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