The New York State Historic Preservation Office has recommended against plans to build a Link5G tower at 1190 Madison Avenue near 87th Street.
The latest decision, first reported by news site Patch, appears to be a major victory for neighborhood preservationists in a long-running battle with the city and LinkNYC operator CityBridge over the 32-foot-tall 5G tower.
The site in question is the 10th proposed Link 5G tower on the Upper East Side and the last on Carnegie Hill to be “removed from the construction calendar,” the paper said. statement Written by Manhattan Congresswoman Rebecca Seawright.
A map maintained by CityBridge shows 11 Link5G sites on the Upper East Side. Nine of them are marked “under revision,” indicating that the original proposal is being reconsidered and may be amended or withdrawn.
One of the remaining two sites is at 1190 Madison Ave. Nuha Ansari, manager of the preservationist group Friends of the Upper East Side, an advisory group on the Section 106 review process, said nine proposals were marked “in progress.” He said all renovations have been completed at 1190 Madison Avenue. SHPO has advised against it. Straus News was unable to independently verify this information, and a CityBridge spokesperson did not respond to questions about the status of these sites.
Currently, only one Link5G tower site on the Upper East Side remains intact, according to CityBridge maps, but its future is uncertain.
Last April, the Federal Communications Commission ruled that all proposed Link5G towers in historic districts must undergo a historic preservation review process. Section 106 Review.according to previous statement CityBridge spokesperson Jack Stern said that because the SHPO’s decision is a request, not an order, LinkNYC’s private operator, CityBridge, may choose to forward the site plan to the FCC for further consideration. says. For the property at 1190 Madison Ave.; City Bridge told Patch “No final decision has been made.”
Anti-Link5G supporters declared the SHPO decision a victory for the preservationist cause. “New York City deserves better connectivity, but large, oversized, and unnecessary sidewalk cell towers are not the way to go in our historic district.” said Joanna Corey, executive director of the activist group Carnegie Hill Neighbors. She advocated against building 5G towers in her neighborhood.
Politicians who had expressed opposition to the installation of Link5G towers in nearby areas also celebrated the decision as a victory. Councilwoman Rebecca Seawright, Councilman Julie Menin, and Councilman Keith Powers said in a press release that the 32-foot-tall metal tower is visually incompatible with the Upper East Side’s historic district. He reiterated his concerns about sexuality.
Preservationists argue that opposition to Link5G is based on the tower’s visual impact, not the 5G technology itself. Mr. Ansari, of the preservationist group FRIENDS, said in an email that they would like to include “some less obvious solutions to expand and strengthen the city’s 5G network,” including “proposed 5G towers. “We are very open to exploring and advocating for alternatives.” Lawmakers echoed this sentiment, saying, “Cities like Los Angeles, Portland, and Denver are already using aesthetically pleasing smart pole technology, and New York City can and should do the same.” ” Menin also said in a press release.
Last October, Congressman Alex Boaz was released from prison. report Outlines solutions to ongoing community concerns about the Link5G program. They called on the city and LinkNYC to be more transparent in the design and siting process. It also recommended design alternatives that are more discreet than tall towers, such as 5G cells that can be installed on existing infrastructure, and creative designs that blend into the local context, such as antennas hidden in church steeples. A CityBridge spokesperson did not respond to questions about whether the company had considered alternative designs for Link5G.
Pushback against pushback
When Patch first reported on the SHPO’s decision, Congressman Jerry Nadler said: tweeted It said it was “an important victory for historic neighborhoods on both the east and west sides of Manhattan.” Continued backlash against Link5G in other parts of Manhattan. However, Upper East Side District Leader Kim Moscaritolo said, called it “Stupid f—— decision,” he said. City and state articles Brooklyn Councilwoman Latrice Walker wrote it earlier this month.
In his opinion piece, Walker defends Link5G as a solution to the digital divide, emphasizing that: city data This means that a quarter of households in the five boroughs lack broadband service, and the percentage is even higher for Black, Hispanic, low-income, and elderly households. On the Upper East Side, 14% of households lack broadband access, according to the same report.
Walker suggested that opposition to Link5G is a form of “YIMBYism,” calling for a “citywide 5G network whose effectiveness depends on the installation of smart poles across five boroughs.” They argue that it would be disruptive and stall the city’s efforts to bridge digital technology. Divided by the most underserved communities. According to him, 90% of Link5G kiosks will be deployed in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and Upper Manhattan. Link5G website.
Anti-Link5G supporters say installing Link5G towers in Manhattan commercial areas will do little to bridge the digital divide, pointing out that the tower’s free Wi-Fi actually doesn’t reach more than 100 meters. are doing. Promised 750ft range And in most homes. “We also believe that valuable public space in taxpayer-funded neighborhoods should not be transferred to private companies unless there is a substantial return in terms of fair and effective 5G access. ,” Ansari said. Link5G is the result of a public-private partnership and is not funded by taxpayers.
These towers will be equipped with 5G transmitters and fiber optic cables for commercial mobile phone service providers, enhancing the city’s mobile broadband and fiber infrastructure and providing more reliable service across the five boroughs. Walker said his expanding Link5G network could bring more cell phone and internet services to his provider into more areas, allowing for more affordable and reliable options. says.
the last standing tower
When the city first launched its Link5G program in 2022, 18 of the 5G towers were scheduled to be built on the Upper East Side. After the “neighborhood disturbance,” that number dwindled. According to the Upper East site, Visit 11 locations marked on CityBridge’s map.
The tower at 1712 York Avenue, between 90th and 91st Streets, is near the former municipal asphalt plant, now part of the Asphalt Green complex. The former asphalt factory (a huge concrete building with a dramatic parabolic arch) was declared a New York City landmark in 1972 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Ansari says he will install his Link5G tower at 1712 York Avenue. It would “irrevocably alter the viewshed of an adjacent historic resource.” Priest has already submitted comments calling for alternative designs if 5G towers are installed.
