The has engaged Metro PCS, a national cellular company based in California, to gain approval from the Architectural Review Board in Southampton Village to place cell antennaes in the historic "Clock Tower" of the church.
In order to install the proposed cell antennae and additional equipment in the clock tower: Metro PCS is proposing to remove four eight foot sections of the historic wood next to each of the tower's four clock faces and replace it with synthetic materials comprised of fiberglass and styrofoam.
This would forever change the historic integrity of the "Clock Tower."
As a further consequence if cell antennas are put in the tower, there would have to be an alteration of the historic hand wound clock that has been in the tower since 1871 and has been hand wound almost every week by a member of the Corwin family since it was installed.
If these antennae are installed, people would have limited access to the Clock Tower because the FCC has set regulations limiting human exposure close to the antennae. If this were to happen it would force the Corwin Family to discontinue a 130-year-old village tradition of hand winding and maintaining this historic clock and bell tower. The Corwin family has formally notified the ARB and the Church Trustees that they would not continue to hand wind the clock if the antennae were installed due to proposed location of the antennae to the winding mechanisms. This would potentially change a Southampton Village tradition and a piece of Southampton Village's history and heritage forever.
To add your support, goto www.savetheclock.org and sign the petition.
