There’s some big news about the LinkNYC 5G towers. Seven of these futuristic three-story-tall towers are currently planned for the West Village, with more to come. In early February the City poured footings for two 5G towers on Washington street, one on Horatio and the other on West 12th. City Councilmember Erik Bottcher’s office was able to get the city to put a temporary halt on construction, but last month we were told by his office that the city was likely to resume construction at any time.
However, a few weeks ago we heard about another issue that had the potential to stop construction. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires a review of any project funded or licensed by a Federal Agency that is in or adjacent to a historic structure (or district) that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The purpose is to determine if the project will have a negative impact on that historic district or landmark. The 5G towers are licensed by the FCC, and both Washington Street towers are within 50 feet of a historic district listed on the National Register (the one at the corner of Horatio and Washington actually adjoins two historic districts). All the other towers currently proposed for the West Village are also in historic districts or adjacent to an individual landmark.
Yet it turns out that a Section 106 review was never conducted. The FCC, as the federal agency, has a legal obligation to ensure the requirements of Section 106 review are met, and the NY State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) would be the agency that administer the review. Save Gansevoort and other preservation organizations sent multiple letters to the FCC, SHPO, and our elected officials asking for a review. In our letters, Save Gansevoort specifically pointed out that construction of the Washington Street 5G towers had already begun, in apparent violation of the Section 106 regulations. Significantly, ten days ago Congressman Jerry Nadler sent the FCC a letter asking that they conduct a review.
Last Thursday, the FCC notified CityBridge (the franchisee that is building and operating the towers) that a Section 106 review is required and that no construction should occur until the review is completed. The order applies to all the LinkNYC 5G towers in the entire city, so this is a big deal. A word of caution: the FCC wants this project to move ahead, and SHPO may not be eager to court controversy. So we will have our work cut out for us.
Stay tuned…