For the second time in only six months, residents are once again gearing up to do battle with local building owners and their telecommunication tenants over the placement of potentially harmful antennas and signal equipment atop a residential apartment building, this time at 8701 Ridge Boulevard – only a few feet away from Bay Ridge’s P.S. 185.

Fresh concern over what neighbors are calling ‘additional/new equipment’ was recently sparked when they spied a new brick camouflage shed being constructed (seen below), and fresh mounting brackets (pictured right) anchored above the extremely busy 85th street and Ridge crosswalk – which point directly into the classrooms of neighboring P.S. 185.

Residents of 8701 Ridge now find themselves in exactly the same boat as their 81st street neighbors who only last August found their entire block at the mercy of cell tower sub-contractors installing similar infrastructure atop 301 3rd avenue.

For residents, furor over the proliferation of these cell phone towers has become a question of proximity, restraint and notice.

The proximity – too close.

The restraint with which these can be amassed – seemingly none.

And the prior-notice to surrounding residents – non-existent.

All of which are souring landlord tenant relations in Bay Ridge, casting building owners as greedy – if not outright ‘sneaky and underhanded.’

The only successful bid to date against the cellular carriers came in 2006 when parents and local politicians launched a negative media campaign that ultimately caused Sprint/Nextel to abort plans for cell towers near St. Anselm’s School on 83rd street and 4th avenue.

So far, pleas of 8701 residents, parents of p.s. 185 (just as those of 301 81st street) wait on local officials.