NY Town Sues Fire District Over Cell Tower

Posted by: Curt Varone March 12, 2015 3 Comments

A fire district in New York is being sued by a town and a group of residents over the construction of a 150 foot cellphone tower on property at a fire station.

The town of Warwick and several residents have filed suit to block construction of a proposed tower by the Pine Island Fire District. The new AT&T tower would replace an existing 70 foot tall tower presently as the station.

The town claims the new tower has to be approved by the planning board, but the fire district claims its is immune from zoning regulations and free from town oversight.

AT&T agreed to pay the fire district rent of $2000 per month to erect the town on their property. Neighbors claim the higher tower would impact the value of their homes and cause some to have to move.

More on the story.

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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