Village of Williston Park trustees voted 3-2 for a local law Monday that removed a requirement for telecommunication companies to hide telecommunication facilities.
The three trustees who voted in favor of the measure – Mayor Paul Ehrbar, Deputy Mayor Kevin Rynee and Trustee Michael Uttaro – did not discuss why they supported the measure.
But the two trustees who voted against the measure strongly condemned the bill.
“It would be an eyesore, I’m against it,” Trustee William Carr said of facilities not shielded by fake trees and roofs. “There wouldn’t be a difference between here and Queens.”
Trustee Teresa Thomann said the village would limit itself by entirely removing the requirement from the local law.
“We’re not giving ourselves enough flexibility,” Thomann said.
The law amends a previous local law which trustees said got in the way of a federal law regarding the installment of “stealth materials,” which include fake trees and building covers, around the facilities. The federal law will take priority over the local law.