Although the boundaries of public spaces are, in many ways and places, defined concretely by surveyors’ maps there are, in any community as old as ours, further spheres of public interest that are held as communal in tradition and in spirit. It is becoming more and more evident as battles unfold over sightlines and visual rights of way that East Hampton feels that an open or scenic vista cannot — or should not — be under the exclusive control of private owners or private businesses. The view belongs to all of us. Now we see it with the arrival of the so-called “small cell poles,” nearly 200 of them, that have begun sprouting up all over town this fall. They stand 42 feet tall, and there are to be 192 placed across East Hampton Town by an installation company called Arium Networks, with concentrations in Springs and Northwest Woods, where cell service has always been notoriously poor.
The poles are brown and have a boxy base set on a pad of concrete. When the first of these poles appeared without warning earlier this month, some residents awoke to find a four-story-high pole standing sentry in their front yard. A contingent of concerned citizens soon was complaining to Town Hall about the unsightliness, the noise that might come from cooling units within the poles, and whether there might be health concerns associated.
There apparently isn’t much that town officials can do to assert control over the placement of these poles. They say they are hamstrung by federal rules. The three wireless providers who will use the poles are not required to share their coverage objectives with the town and the town has only 10 days to review new applications. The town is also, apparently, not allowed to require that the companies notify neighbors that a pole is incoming, either.
One thing we all can agree on is that cell service in Springs and Northwest Woods has always stunk — and something needed to be done. The lack of consistent coverage is not safe for residents, and it hampers emergency response by fire departments and emergency medical services. We asked for better cell service, and the cell companies have responded.
That said, this is a prime moment for the citizenry and the town to be vigilant. There is no excuse for poles to be installed willy-nilly without consideration for our sightlines. We are the guardians of our common air spaces and we need to be on the lookout.
Of particular concern are our formally designated scenic vistas. We would ask town planners and citizen activists to review the nine scenic zones in the Town and Village of East Hampton and to press Arium Networks and the cell companies about whether any poles are planned there. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, these formally designated scenic areas include coastal portions of Wainscott, East Hampton Village, and Amagansett, the Napeague overlook, Gerard Drive, Louse Point, the Walking Dunes, views of Northwest Harbor from Barcelona Neck, and Wainscott Pond as seen from Wainscott Main Street with the ocean behind it. Residents who would like to be informed can Google the phrases “East Hampton” and “Scenic Areas of Statewide Significance” to review maps.