Church officials signed a contract with T-Mobile -- which will pay $2,000 per month to rent the steeple -- more than two years ago, but the town had a moratorium on all new cell towers that only recently ended.
Appearing before the Southold Town Planning Board for a public hearing, T-Mobile attorney Greg Alvarez said a section of the 65-foot steeple will be removed in order to install eight cell antennas inside the highest point in the hamlet.
The exterior replacement materials used in the work "will match the existing steeple in color and texture," he said.
Outside equipment, he said, will be located east of the back parking lot on a concrete pad, surrounded by a vinyl fence and landscaping to "soften the appearance of the fence," said Paul Gardlman, an architect for the project. Cables will be run underground from the outdoor equipment area, into the church building and up to the steeple.
Other experts in town planning, electrical engineering and real estate asserted that the cell installation would have very little impact on the neighborhood -- other than providing significantly better cell reception.
"This is an ideal application in terms of locating a wireless-type of facility," said real estate appraiser Mike Lynch. "They're not using a freestanding structure like a monopole, and the structure of the church will not change."
The only point of contention had to do with how cell transmissions might affect the health of children attending Our Lady of Mercy elementary school, two doors down from the church.
Mark Kujawski, an attorney representing the school, asked microwave emissions expert Lou Cornacchia if he had analyzed how the emissions would affect schoolchildren in the neighboring playground.
Mr. Cornacchia said that his study found the "worst case emissions" area would be limited to the top of the school's roof, where the strength of the microwave beam would be .5 percent of the maximum level allowed by the Federal Communications Commission.
"Our analysis uses criteria that is theoretical, but in reality, emissions are always 10 to 100 times less" than the federal criteria, he said.
After the presentation, Cutchogue resident Benja Schwartz was not convinced there would be no health risks from the proposed cell installation.
"Not everybody agrees with federal standards," he said. The technology "has not been sufficiently studied. The burden should be to prove that it's safe, not to prove that it's not dangerous. The current cell-transmitting devices are likely to be obsolete in a few years. Meanwhile, what if even one child gets cancer? Is it worth it? Not to me if it were my kid."
Barbara McAdam, a church elder at Cutchogue Presbyterian who also lives near the church, saw things differently. "I've spoken out many times at meetings like these to protect my church and protect my neighbor, but I see no problem with installing a couple of antennas," she said. "I've done a lot of research on this as well, and I feel that any exposure would be far below FCC standards."
eschultz@timesreview.com