I would like to respond to the article which appeared in The Roslyn News on May 25 ("Sprint Rejects Alternate Site").

The current Sprint PCS application seeks a special use permit to attach small panel antennas to an already existing tower maintained by the Long Island Power Authority. These antennas would be painted the same color as the tower and will be virtually invisible to the casual observer. The existing tower is almost 500' from the nearest residence in Roslyn and over 600' from the nearest residence in East Hills. Emissions from the antennas will be less than 1 percent of the FCC standard, the site will have no impact on the surrounding area. Nevertheless a resident asked that we consider as an alternate a LIPA tower approximately 500' to the northeast of the proposed site. Sprint PCS engineers studied the alternate and determined that because the ground elevation is considerably lower at the alternate site and because it is farther removed from the area to be covered, antennas affixed to the alternate tower would not be able to eliminate the gap in question. To be able to do so, a 240' tower would have to be erected.

The article quotes Councilwoman Doreen Banks, who suggests a positive correlation between power lines and cancer rates. Her statement is irrelevant. We do not propose to add to the power lines already at the site.

Finally, the article's last paragraph is misleading. The Telecommunications Act preempts local governments from regulating the placement of antenna sites on the basis of their emissions so long as the proposed site's emissions will be within limits set by the FCC. A municipality cannot deny an application on that basis and may not consider a diminution of property values if based on an alleged health fear.

Kathleen Dunleavy

(The author is an employee at Sprint's Manhattan office.)