Scientific studies, however, such as a recent one from New Zealand, have found evidence of increased cases of cancer, leukemia, and reproductive and cardiac problems linked to cell towers. "We went through this earlier with St. Anselm's School about the possible dangers. At P.S. 185 we were taken off-guard," said Tressa Kabbez, co-president of the P.S. 185 PTA, speaking at the public portion of CB 10's meeting at the Shore Hill Community Room. "We have a rooftop play area that was just refurbished. It is at eye-level with those antennas."

The antenna array was placed "overnight," she said, atop a six-story apartment building at the southeast corner of Ridge Boulevard and 87th Street, directly across from P.S. 185 on the northeast corner of Ridge Boulevard between 86th and 87th streets.

Three years ago a plan to place towers on a building near St. Anselm's School on 83rd Street at Fourth Avenue was met with vigorous opposition by the school and parent leaders. There were rallies, petitions and letter-writing campaigns. Support from elected officials came in the form of proposed legislation to ban tower placement near schools by Councilman Vincent Gentile and state Senator Marty Golden.

"We're asking Community Board 10 to revisit the issue of placing cell phone towers near schools," Kabbez said. "And we're going after Verizon on this. We can't have our children exposed to this for six or seven hours a day."

Concerns over how the cell towers may impact the health of other community residents were not addressed at the meeting on Monday.

Joining Kabbez in their request for board support was another P.S.185 parent leader, Dr. William Stratis. "The cell phone towers went up in the middle of the night. We're concern about the safety of cell phone towers," said the physician. "There's legislation in California against cell phone towers being placed near schools, as there are in places like England, Spain, Japan, France and Germany. We're not against technology advances. We just cannot put our children at risk."

Although there is no conclusive study that proves that the transmission of microwaves at the towers cause leukemia, cancer and other aliments, he noted, there are more and more studies leading to conclusions that there may be dangers.

The parent leaders said they were working with Councilman Gentile and state Senator Golden in again bringing up legislation that dates back about two years to ban tower placement in the vicinity of schools. Xaverian High School, Dr. Stratis noted, has one on a building across from it.

When Board President Dean Rasinya recommended that the issue be sent to the board's environmental committee, Steve Harrison, a former board president and now a candidate for Congress, called for a vote. "Last time we supported St. Anselm's. Let's put it to a vote tonight that we oppose the towers near schools," he said.

On Dec. 8, 2007, a letter was sent to Mayor Bloomberg on this issue from the board, said Rasinya, who suggested that a citywide effort be taken with the leadership of community boards, and that the city's Department of Education "take a lead."

Harrison recommended that the board find other schools that may have towers placed near them. Harrison's motion to support P.S. 185 on the issue was overwhelmingly passed.

© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2007

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