BY ELIZABETH PIET
STAFF WRITER
03/26/2007

JESSUP — Eleven months after it was issued, a permit allowing 12 cell phone antennas on top of a La Salle Academy building was revoked Friday and all work has been ordered to stop.

Nextel officials have 30 days to appeal the decision, which would move the dispute to the borough Zoning Board.

The decision thrilled some parents with children at St. Michael’s, the La Salle Academy building that houses preschool to second-grade students. Some expressed skepticism, however, that the battle was over. In the Diocese of Scranton’s restructuring plan for Lackawanna County Catholic schools, it was decided La Salle Academy and St. Mary Visitation in Dickson City would operate as one school. Younger students will attend the Dickson City school, and St. Michael’s will be vacated if the antenna issue is not resolved.

“I’m absolutely elated, but the school is still closed,” said Mark Troiani, whose son attends St. Michael’s. He hopes that if the antennas are removed, the school can stay open.

“It’s an uphill battle,” he said.

The diocese declined to comment Friday on the permits being revoked or the status of the St. Michael’s building, spokesman Bill Genello said.

A misunderstanding

Zoning officer Robert Grunza granted the permit to Nextel in April, under the misunderstanding that only cell phone towers — not antennas — were regulated by borough code.

“I feel terrible for everyone — the council and attorneys,” Mr. Grunza said. “It was an error on my part.”

In February, a person living near the school submitted a complaint claiming the antennas could not be erected in a residential area, prompting the borough to re-evaluate the permit.

Advised by borough solicitor Richard Fanucci, Mr. Grunza decided that under borough code, cell antennas require a special-exception permit, which can be approved only by the Zoning Board.

“We feel the best thing right now is to issue the stop-work order,” Mr. Grunza said.

Mr. Fanucci noted other problems with Nextel’s permit application, including missing information about the accompanying shelter structure and misrepresentations of the cost of the project.

Nextel received the order Friday and is beginning to review the borough’s reasoning, said Michael Grab, the attorney representing Nextel. The antennas will not be removed yet.

“At this point, we need to review the borough’s rationale,” he said. “We’ll take a careful look.”

Parents worried

When parents first learned of the antennas in September, many were outraged and concerned for their children’s health. Nextel brought in experts to explain that the radiation emitted by the antennas is below levels set by the Federal Communications Commission.

In January, the Jessup Area Neighborhood Alliance was organized by St. Michael’s parents and other concerned citizens. In a closed meeting March 19 with Nextel engineers, parents expressed concerns about the shelter structure, lightning strikes and battery explosions.

As the group learns more, it can address its problems with the antennas from multiple angles, said Mary Durdach, group chairwoman.

“The radiation is a big question mark. It’s like nailing Jell-O to the wall,” she said. “Not enough years have passed to have conclusive information.”

The accompanying shed with the backup power supply also worries Mrs. Durdach.

“It’s hazardous material. If that building blew up, that would be a major calamity,” she said. “This sort of industrial building doesn’t belong in residential areas.”

Contact the writer: epiet@timesshamrock.com

©The Times-Tribune 2007