By Dan Murphy
A proposed cell tower to be built along Granite Springs Road in Yorktown has been met with opposition from more than 50 residents.
Yorktown resident Jennie Sunshine writes,
Fight the Yorktown Cell Tower in the Granite Springs Wetland & Next to Homes
By: Jennie Sunshine
Don’t let them do it! Don’t let the Town of Yorktown sell or lease a piece of their wetland to put a large, unnecessary, 10-story cell tower directly next to my neighbor’s homes and backyards! I live about a mile north of the proposed tower and our family and neighbor’s cell service is just fine, including in bad weather. If you live on or near Granite Springs Road, around Curry Street (south), Sparkle Lake, Weatherby Street, Royce Court or near Quaker Church Road and Evergreen Street, you might soon have a giant 130-foot cell-phone tower, bigger than any building in Yorktown – placed right in your lap. They are considering placing this tower on the north side of Granite Springs Road – opposite the lake (between Curry Street and Quaker Church Road). Right now, it’s an expansive, quiet, beautiful wetland with trees, nature, animals, and waterfowl. Don’t let your children and families grow up with long-term radio-wave cell tower pollution, possible chemical run-off, a large fire hazard, reduced property values and a huge, unsightly tower visible from every angle. Please attend the Town Board meeting on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. at Yorktown Town Hall, 363 Underhill Avenue to learn more and have the chance to oppose this project. You can also email the 5 Town Board members and Town Clerk: Supervisor@yorktownny.gov, sesposito@yorktownny.gov, pmurphy@yorktownny.gov, ssiegel@yorktownny.gov, igilbert@yorktownny.gov, townclerk@yorktownny.gov.
Sunshine added, “The wetland is also not a good place for a cell tower in that there are many delicate species that will be harmed from either the radio waves, radiation or possible chemical run-off from the various machinery that will be installed there or the possible, repeated spraying of pesticides, insecticides or weed killer that will run into the wetland and lake and perhaps into people’s backyards. Note, this lake and water way does flow into various brooks which find their way into other lakes, streams and possibly even the surrounding water reservoirs.”
Yorktown Supervisor Ed Lachterman wrote the following letter to Town residents.
Subject: Proposed Granite Springs Road Cell Tower Facility
I am writing to share important information regarding ongoing efforts to improve the Town’s wireless communications infrastructure, specifically the proposed installation of a cell tower on Granite Springs Road.
Reliable wireless service is not a luxury—it is a necessity for public safety, emergency response, education, business, and everyday communication. In recent years, gaps in coverage have been identified in portions of Yorktown. These gaps can delay emergency services, hinder remote work and learning, and limit access to critical information.
The Town has been working in coordination with the Northern Westchester County Cooperative Wireless Communications Master Plan, a regional initiative designed to ensure that all communities in our area have safe, reliable, and modern wireless infrastructure. This plan emphasizes strategic placement of facilities to maximize coverage while minimizing visual and environmental impacts. Both the Master Plan and Telecommunication Infrastructure Analysis for the Town of Yorktown is posted on the Town’s website.
From the Yorktown Infrastructure Analysis, the map to the right [below], which is valid for ten years, shows the coverage predictions from the existing personal wireless facilities in Yorktown. The areas outlined in blue, including a large area in the vicinity of Granite Springs, illustrate very poor to non-existent wireless coverage, which are the areas in greatest need of wireless infrastructure.
Working with this data, Homeland Towers conducted an Alternate Site Analysis, to evaluate potential locations for a new facility that would address the Granite Springs coverage gap. They reviewed four properties, locations of which are marked in the photo below:
- 2850 Sunrise Street, Parcel# 27.11-2-19 This Town parcel is designated Parkland, however, also contains a water department pumphouse on a small + /- ¼ acre parcel. The available space around the pumphouse was deemed small given the underground piping facilities. The elevation is+/- 470′ AMSL and distance to the closest residence is approx. 200′.
- 2997 Curry St, Parcel# 27.06-2-30. This Town parcel is designated Parkland and located adjacent a residential Townhouse community. While the elevation of this location is good, it is sloping downwards towards Sparkle Lake and would require considerable grading in close proximity to the back yard of the residences. The elevation is+/- 500′ AMSL and distance to the closest residence approx. 200′.
- Sparkle Lake, Granite Springs Rd, Parcel# 27.10-3-11. This Town parcel is designated Parkland and located on Sparkle Lake. It is also located adjacent to a beach/swimming area behind the Parks & Recreation Building. The elevation is+/- 490′ AMSL and distance to the closest residence approximately 180′ and approx. 120′ from the lakefront.
- Granite Springs Rd, Parcel# 27.11-1-33. This Town parcel is designated Parkland and located adjacent to the ‘Hallock Mill Wetlands’. This parcel is a ‘flag shaped’ type parcel with 50′ frontage on Granite Springs Rd and widening after approximately 200′. The elevation of this location is approx. + /- 500′ AMSL and the distance to the closest residence approx. 420′.
The conclusion reached by Homeland Towers is that the Granite Springs Road location (no. 4) offers the most effective balance of technical performance, public safety, and compliance with zoning and environmental considerations.
A public information session is tentatively scheduled for February 3, 2026. Residents will be invited to review Homeland Tower’s site proposal, the findings of the Alternative Site Analysis, ask questions, and share feedback. Your input is essential to this process, and I encourage you to participate so that we can make the most informed decision possible.
