A group of Bethlehem residents opposed to the construction of cell phone towers on Bethlehem Central School District property plan to hold a demonstration outside the district offices today prior to a meeting of the Board of Education.
The No School Towers Coalition announced the 5:30 p.m. event earlier today, and said that representatives from the New York State Teachers Association and David Carpenter, director of the University at Albany’s Institute for Health and Environment, will be on hand.
District officials are examining the possibility of building cell towers at three locations in the district: Clarksville Elementary, Hamagrael Elementary and the district’s Operations and Maintenance department near the High School. BC has contracted with Independent Towers LLC for the planning process.
Superintendent Michael Tebbano has said that the proposal is in the exploratory phase, and that any construction would be at least a year in the future.
The district says that hosting cell towers could bring much needed revenue, up to $50,000 per tower. Opponents are citing concerns about the long-term health effects of proximity to cell towers and the aesthetic impacts of towers.
The district’s offices are located at 90 Adams Pl., Delmar. The school board meeting is at the district offices at 7 p.m.
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