New Cell Tower Proposed In Southampton Village

AT&T is proposing a new cellular tower for Southampton Village—a 165-foot monopole at 153 Powell Avenue, the site of a small industrial park.

The cellular giant, in conjunction with tower developer Capital Telecom, has an application before the village. AT&T has been asked to move an antenna off a different tower in the village that is owned by Cablevision.

AT&T spokesman Ben Roberts said this week that the deal to keep an antenna on the tower owned by Cablevision is slated to expire in late 2016, and the cable provider will not renew the agreement. Cablevision’s tower is located near Mariner Drive, about 300 yards north of the proposed monopole location.

AT&T will present its proposal to the Village Zoning Board of Appeals on August 27 at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, and there will be a public comment period at the meeting. AT&T is required to go through the ZBA because the proposal is considered a special exception use and requires a variance from height restrictions.

Mr. Roberts said the company is proposing the monopole because it wants to ensure that there will be no service interruptions for customers in the area. He added that the tower will be less intrusive than Cablevision’s, which is more than 300 feet high. The pieces of equipment required to operate the monopole will not require any structures to house them.

“This is the best solution for this current situation. We are dedicated to providing our customers a first-in-class network experience,” Mr. Roberts said.

Pending approval, and winter weather permitting, Mr. Roberts said AT&T hopes to begin construction of the monopole in early spring.