Mt. Kisco Planning Board Approves Cell Tower for South Bedford Road
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After more than three years of debate and frayed tensions, the Mount Kisco Planning Board unanimously approved Homeland Towers’ 140-foot monopole cell tower last week on a portion of a 25-acre parcel near the Bedford border.
Village consultants worked with Homeland Towers on mitigation efforts at the site, 180 S. Bedford Rd., and pushed the applicant for extensive screening and fencing to minimize impacts.
Prior to the vote, a few board members lamented that the village could do little but approve the application because of strict telecommunications laws that make it difficult for communities to fight cell tower placements if studies reveal that service needs to be improved.
Board member Willam Polese said the village, applicant and residents, including those representing the nearby Marsh Sanctuary, and Rex Pietrobono, the closest homeowner to the site, did their best to find alternate locations, but fell short.
“It’s not what we wanted but I think we’re all in agreement that we need to move forward and this needs to come to a proper end,” Polese said.
In the summer of 2020, Homeland Towers came forward publicly for the first time to introduce the application. It drew sustained criticisms from residents on that side of Mount Kisco and threats of lawsuits, particularly as a ground-mounted array of solar panels had also been proposed for the same property. That application has not returned before the board since last year.
Board co-chair Michael McGuirk said the resolution containing 59 conditions, an unusual step for a cell tower application, was the best that the board could to lessen the deleterious effects of the monopole on the village and the closest neighbors.
“I do acknowledge that a cell tower located at this site is a painful outcome for the direct neighbors,” he said.
None of the opponents nor the applicant addressed the board prior to the vote.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
