Medford cell tower plans postponed after resident objections

A proposed 150-foot cell tower in Medford, New York has hit the brakes after residents living near the site pushed back hard at a Brookhaven Town Board meeting. The tower, planned for the Country Farms Equestrian Center on Bellport Avenue, would have served commercial cell carriers like Verizon Wireless, plus a 9-foot antenna for the Yaphank Fire District. Developer Elite Towers argued the location sits in "the exact center of the area" with serious cell service gaps, but neighbors on adjacent Sand Hills Lane weren't convinced it belonged there.

During a 90-minute public hearing, eight residents spoke out, calling the structure "out of place" for a mostly residential neighborhood centered around a working horse farm where children take riding lessons. One resident, Arthur DiGianno, suggested industrial sites near the Long Island Expressway would make more sense than "a horse corral where children take riding lessons." Another resident, Marie Cannava, pushed back on the developer's framing of the structure as a "concealment tower," arguing that a label doesn't make a 150-foot pole disappear from the view out your kitchen window. The town board, acting as the planning board, agreed to postpone a final decision until November 19, giving the developer time to explore alternative sites — possibly a golf course or industrial parcel instead.

Why This Matters for Families Near Cell Towers

For parents evaluating a home purchase or renovation near proposed infrastructure like this, stories like Medford's are a reminder that tower siting decisions are often negotiable — and public input can actually shift outcomes. While regulatory bodies generally consider cell towers safe under current guidelines, many families still prefer to minimize unnecessary EMF exposure at home, especially with kids nearby. One basic, well-established principle is that EMF intensity drops off with distance, so a tower's exact placement relative to bedrooms, yards, or play areas can matter more than its mere existence in the neighborhood.

What Concerned Parents Can Do

If you live near a proposed tower site, showing up to public hearings — as Medford residents did — is one of the few concrete ways to influence where infrastructure gets built. At home, families focused on lowering everyday EMF exposure sometimes look into practical upgrades, like choosing a low-EMF air purifier for a child's bedroom, opting for a low-EMF hair dryer to reduce close-proximity exposure during daily routines, or researching whether EMF shielding paint makes sense for a home facing a tower or dense antenna cluster. None of these steps replace community advocacy, but they're part of a broader mindset many health-conscious households are adopting as tower proposals like Medford's crop up across suburban neighborhoods.

Originally reported by Newsday