Plan for 140-foot cell tower at St. James private school sparks backlash

A proposal to build a 140-foot cell tower on the grounds of a private boarding and day school in St. James is generating opposition from residents and the mayor of a neighboring village.

The Village of Nissequogue is reviewing plans to build the tower on the property of The Knox School on Long Beach Road. The school opened in 1904 and spans 40 acres with views of Stony Brook Harbor. Its website describes it as Long Island's "oldest established private school." 

The proposal from LI Smart Solutions LLC has drawn opposition from residents who live near the school, as well as from Michael Utevsky, mayor of Head of the Harbor. In a letter to Nissequogue's planning board chair, Utevsky expressed his "firm opposition" to the tower application and urged that it be denied.

He wrote that the cell tower is “out of place” and could pose “significant environmental risks that may not have been adequately assessed or mitigated.”

The tower's construction would be detrimental to wildlife, plants and waterways, Utevsky said in the letter. "We feel that the environmental assessment provided is insufficient, and approval should not proceed without a comprehensive impact analysis that evaluates alternatives and mitigation measures.”

Knox School officials did not respond to requests for comment. 

According to the site plan, the proposal calls for a 140-foot, sky blue-painted tower with an 8-foot-tall chain link fence. The equipment would be stored on the southwestern corner of the school's campus where there are woodlands, landscaping and an asphalt-paved driveway. 

During a special meeting on Monday, the planning board voted to keep the record open and extend the deadline for public comment until Feb. 27. The applicants requested more time to submit “important materials” and for the public to comment, chairman Peter Marullo said. 

The board went into executive session and did not allow for public comment.

After the meeting, several residents explained their opposition in interviews with Newsday.

Karen Morel, of Saint James, a member of the Stillwater Homeowners Association, said her group has hired an attorney to fight the proposal.

"We’re not opposed to technology, but we’re opposed to it being done in this way forcefully in our community,” said Morel, whose property is separated from the Knox School by only a nature trail. 

Mark Hulmes, president of the Kemper Estates Homeowners Association, said adding a cell tower to the property would clash with the community's idyllic nature. 

“Having a tower that’s 140 feet tall … is something that’s visible from even Head of the Harbor, is not conducive for the natural preserves that we all moved here for,” Hulmes said in an interview. “We can’t touch trees on our properties without permission … we like the serenity of the place, we like the fact that we can go out to our homes, take walks, go down to the beach and not have to deal with an industrialized look.”

Morel and Hulmes said nearby associations are collaborating and have started conversations about next steps. If the planning board gives the go-ahead, the village board of trustees must also approve the cell tower application.

Marullo declined to say when the board would vote on the plan. But he said Monday that the board meets next on March 2, when the issue will be on the agenda.