5G Towers in Our Neighborhoods

The City is seeking to site large numbers of ungainly, 32-ft.-tall Link NYC 5G towers throughout the city, with little public review or oversight, including large concentrations of them in areas where they are not needed, make no sense, and would particularly negatively impact landmarked buildings and historic districts, like the West Village and Meatpacking District. 

The City has made multiple false claims regarding this program, which it is currently rolling out. First is that the siting of these enormous and intrusive towers would have no greater impact than existing infrastructure, and would go through a full public vetting and review process. However, there’s been nothing but confusion about the rollout and siting process, and public agencies and entities that would normally offer public information and public comment have been cut out of the process or denied a true decision-making role. The City claims these towers are needed to bridge the digital divide and ensure equitable access to high-speed broadband for all New Yorkers, especially those in “digital deserts” — a laudable goal. But the initial rollout involves concentrating them in areas with no lack of digital access, such as the West Village, the Meatpacking District, SoHo, and the Upper East Side, where the true motivation for siting seems to be monetizing data collected by the towers or space on or within them, rather than actually bridging any digital divide. 

Village Preservation’s campaign demands that the City rethink this program; consider impacts upon landmarks and historic districts; allow for true public review and input; and stop the installation of huge concentrations of these towers in areas like the West Village and Meatpacking District, among others, where they are clearly not needed and would have unmitigated negative impacts. 

Photo: NBC 4 New York