On Wednesday, the Village of Mineola Board of Trustees voted unanimously to deny an application by Omnipoint to affix six groups of panel antennas for cellular phone reception 170 feet up on a 265-foot tower located on Maple Place.

According to the attorney for Omnipoint, the location would have been ideal to fill a gap of service in Mineola that may prevent Omnipoint customers from making or receiving calls on their cell phones.

However, some residents of Maple Place were concerned that adding more antennas to the tower, which already has numerous antennas affixed to it, would threaten the safety of the neighborhood.

The village board was put in a bind since it is prohibited from denying the application based on safety reasons because of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Mineola Mayor John P. Colbert, who made the motion to deny the application, which was seconded by Deputy Mayor Lou Santosus, said he could not expand upon why the application was denied until a statement is drafted by the village counsel.

However, the mayor did say he did not think approving the application would be in the best interests of the residents. The village board may have determined that representatives from Omnipoint did not prove a service gap did, in fact, exist in Mineola.

During the hearings for the application, Village Trustee Jack Martins questioned Omnipoint representatives about a drive test conducted by Omnipoint to illustrate a gap in service. At a continuation of the hearing on Oct. 16, 2002, in questioning Ominipoint representatives, Martins said, "We need to be clear on the point that we have an actual gap here, and this board has to feel comfortable that you have a need and you have a gap, and you expressed it."

Martins questioned whether the number of dropped calls measured during the drive test constituted a gap of service. Apparently, the board didn't feel confident that the gap did exist.

For ex-chief of the Mineola Fire Department Walter Crosby, a resident of Maple Place, the board's denial of the application was a victory for the residents of the area. "I feel it showed that the board has the interests of all the citizens of Mineola, but mainly those who are living in close proximity to this tower," said Crosby, who rallied fellow residents in a crusade against cell phone antennas.

The ex-chief feels the tower on Maple Place threatens the safety of the neighborhood and said the board's denial of the application was a step in the right direction. "The closer you are to it, the more dangerous it is. Unfortunately, people don't realize it at this point, but it's going to be realized in time that they are very dangerous, especially being in a residential neighborhood," Crosby said.

Mayor Colbert doesn't believe the cell phone issue will end with the board's rejection of the Omnipoint application. He expects there to be litigation with Omnipoint.