Sprint is looking to juice up its coverage in Mineola after presenting a plan to build a wireless cell tower/facility atop the Lever Building at 114 Old Country Rd. recently. The Mineola Village Board held off on deciding on Sprint’s project.
Sprint said the cellphone carrier wants to address service deficiencies to Mineola customers. Sprint previously housed a facility at 250 Old Country Rd., the site of the former Keyspan property that’s been developed into a 315-unit apartment complex by Lalezarian Developers. Gregory Alvarez, Sprint’s legal counsel from Garden City-Amato Law Group, said Sprint contacted seven other properties before choosing the Lever Building. The Benchmark at 170 Old Country Rd., according to Sprint reps, was in consideration.
“From that point, Sprint sought out and looked for a new location and picked [114 Old Country Rd.] in particular because of the suitability of it,” Alvarez said. “We’re trying to make use of what’s already there today and not change much. The only thing that will be exposed are the antennas which will be painted [to be concealed].”
Antennas would be attached to the top of the existing paneling on the roof. The equipment would be screened, Sprint reps said, so the structure would not be visible to surrounding communities, but part of the facility would be visible on the north side of the location.
According to project engineer Saseen Abujawdeh, the antennas weigh 60 pounds each.
“We’ll be using an existing concealment paneling that’s already on the rooftop,” Alvarez said. “What it serves right now is to screen the existing equipment that’s servicing the building.”
Sprint engineers contend cell signals have waned since the tower at 250 Old Country Rd. was torn down. “We want to make sure that Old Country Road along that corridor is covered [with Sprint] as well as the businesses” Alvarez said.
If built, three Sprint facilities would be housed in Mineola. The remaining two stand at 266 Maple Ave. and 260 East Second St.
“Since the tower has been down, have you noticed a gap in coverage?” Mayor Scott Strauss said. “Are they needed? It just seems like such a small area that you’re looking to complete. Seems a lot for 1.2 miles east and west and 0.6 miles north and south in coverage.”
Alvarez stressed the facility would mirror the previous facility just west of Mineola Boulevard.
“It’s intended to replace what was at the previous facility,” Alvarez said. “What you’ll see at the new facility is basically what’s already there.”
The cell tower would be visible to residents of the Birchwood Court Co-Op complex.
“I know they say the cell antennas are going to be screened but any cell tower they see, they’re ugly,” Birchwood resident Joanne Frank said. “I think from the reports they’re talking about, they already have enough coverage.”
