Forest Hills Residents Reject 5G Pole Top Amid Insufficient Notice

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — A group of residents in Forest Hills and Rego Park will voice their rejection of a 5G unit installation on Austin Street to the city's Office of Technology and Innovation after a request for comment from the department.

Members of Community Board 6, which represents residents in both neighborhoods, said they reject the decision to install the 5G unit because they were not given sufficient time to review the environmental and aesthetic impacts of the installation.

The pole top would be installed on an existing telephone pole on Austin Street, between 69th Road and 70th Avenue.

"They're asking for our comment, they will do as they see fit," said Heather Beers-Dimitriadis, the board's chair, during a board meeting on Wednesday. "We don't know how they're going to act. The reality is that they're asking us out of courtesy."

With a 27-10 vote, the motion passed at the meeting rejects all future requests for 5G installations until they pass proper historic preservation and environmental reviews. The motion also demands a 60-day notice for the board to consult the installation.

Overall, 5G installations, which provide high-speed internet service, have been met with fierce pushback in some areas as residents object to the units' bulkiness and aesthetic impact. Last year, the city also began installing cylinder-type cell phone towers across all five boroughs to enhance internet service in the area.

The Federal Communications Commission required the tower installer, CityBridge, in April to complete reviews under the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Environmental Policy Act before constructing the towers.

Although the community board doesn't make the final decision on where the 5G units are placed, they can make recommendations. Earlier this year, OTI was planning on placing two towers at P.S. 101 and another at P.S. 144, and the board suggested they be installed in a more commercial area.

Community board members who favored the 5G pole top on Austin Street said that the service would help many of the residents who are working from home.