Historic preservation review cancels nearly all UES 5G towers

UPPER EAST SIDE, New York — From 5G to 1G.

A recent ruling by the state’s historic preservation office means only one of 18 proposed LinkNYC 5G towers may remain operational, according to maps prepared by officials and LinkNYC vendor CityBridge.

The canceled tower was killed by a combination of site-specific compatibility issues and failure to pass a federally mandated historic preservation review of the impact that a giant 5G transmission tower, conceived as part of New York City’s plan to expand internet access across the Big Apple, would have on the Upper East Side’s historic district.

A spokesman for the New York State Office of Historic Preservation said the agency recently determined that the tower at 1190 Madison Avenue near East 87th Street should be relocated or redesigned “to fit within its historic setting.”

City Bridge, City Hall’s partner in the venture, told Patch that no final decision has been made yet on the proposed site at 1190 Madison Avenue, despite a request from the New York State Office of Historic Preservation following a Section 106 review of the proposed tower site.

If the city’s Office of Innovation accepts the recommendation, only one tower would remain as proposed, according to CityBridge’s LinkNYC 5G tower map, which has just 11 sites marked on the Upper East Side, seven fewer than the 18 proposed, and all but two of the sites are labeled “under improvement.”

Nearly all of the neighborhood’s elected officials were pleased to hear that Carnegie Hill’s last tower was in danger of disappearing.

“From the beginning, we have expressed community concerns that the LinkNYC 5G tower does not blend in with the surrounding neighborhood,” said City Council Member Keith Powers.

“I’m pleased that all of the LinkNYC towers, which sparked significant backlash in Carnegie Hill, have been postponed or canceled,” said Councilman Alex Boles, who recently released a report on how New York City can more adaptively deploy 5G infrastructure. Powers said she supports the effort.

“Each of these cell towers will only provide high-speed 5G communications to a two-block radius, so contrary to other claims, any impacts will be limited to the surrounding area,” said Bolles, who worked in computer science before joining public service.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, who wrote to the FCC in April urging a pause on the deployment of LinkNYC’s 5G towers, said he “celebrates this victory.”

“Today’s announcement reflects what we’ve known to be true all along: Link5G towers are at odds with the historic nature of many parts of New York,” Nadler told Patch.

State Councilwoman Rebecca Searight, an Upper East Side senator who has also long opposed the tower, said she “applauds” state officials’ recommendation that the final design for Carnegie Hill Tower is not incompatible with the “historic environment.”

Earlier this week, Searight asked Mayor Adams. “During budget debates on Capitol Hill, I spoke about the unknown health and environmental impacts of 5G technology and the proliferation of cell towers in our neighborhoods,” she said.

“The insistence on installing a 32-foot-tall cell tower in the middle of Carnegie Hill’s historic residential neighborhood undermines the unique sense of place that makes Carnegie Hill special,” said Simeon Bankoff, a preservation consultant and former executive director of the Council on Historic Districts.

Jack Stern, a spokesman for CityBridge, City Hall’s LinkNYC partner, said the halting of the tower’s construction is simply a sign of how well the community outreach process is working.

“If there is feedback from the community, we will listen and consider alternatives,” Stern said, adding that overall, New Yorkers are overwhelmingly in favor of expanding internet connectivity.

In that respect, Bankoff and Carnegie Hill Neighbors, the local group that has been the most vocal critic of 5G towers, agree on the goal but not the means.

“Expanding access to 5G is a great thing that can be done in a way that doesn’t damage the environment,” Bankoff said.

“New York City needs better coverage,” said Joanna Corey, executive director of Carnegie Hill Neighbors, “but in a historic neighborhood like ours, huge, oversized and unnecessary sidewalk cell towers are just not progress.”

“We are proud of our success in this lawsuit,” Cawley added. “If Carnegie Hill comes together to protect our community, nothing can stop us.”

In December 2022, the city announced a proposal to install 18 giant pedestrian towers on the Upper East Side.

The presentation was met with almost immediate and fierce opposition, especially from residents of the Carnegie Hill neighborhood.

Half of the proposed tower was originally located on Carnegie Hill.

Nearly all of the sites have since been removed.

Seven were halted for “various reasons,” according to CityBridge, which officials said were due to “site-specific” reasons such as sidewalk space, arched walkways and other non-compliant conditions.

The remaining nine are in what CityBridge calls a “remediation” phase, which means the group is exploring alternative sites based on community feedback, meaning construction of towers may still be a long way off.

The last LinkNYC 5G tower not undergoing renovation on the Upper East Side (aside from the recently deprecated 1190 Madison Ave.) is located at 1712 York Ave., just off Asphalt Green.

CityBridge did not respond to requests to disclose why nine of its towers went into remediation as a result of the state’s Section 106 review, including whether any were rescinded, nor did it respond to a request for a list of active FCC permits for 5G towers on the Upper East Side.