What's that big shiny object? Oh, it's Mediacom

Editor's note: The following letter was sent to Frank Fornario, Town of Blooming Grove Supervisor.

Dear Mr. Fornario:
How are you doing? My name is Tim Miller, we have met but a few times, I’m sure you wouldn’t remember me. Fine job you have been doing in the Town of Blooming Grove. It was certainly a good call going after the county executive on the expansion of the Harriman sewer district. Congratulations on the win. Sadly the Chester supervisor didn’t have the same insight to this problem that you apparently had. Well anyway, I am writing about another one of your town’s windfalls, Mediacom.

It is a great thing to bring business to your town as tax revenue instead of tax using homes and not to mention all of the jobs that will be coming along with it. But at what expense, I wonder if this building meets all of the requirements in your town’s code? It does sit high on a hill like some sort of monument for all to see. Not a tree or bush hiding it at all. And when I say all to see I mean all, this building can be seen for many miles both night and day. It seems that it was designed for just that purpose. Also when I say night and day I do mean it. In the day time with all of its glass facades it is like a giant mirror reflecting the sun in all direction for many, many miles and at night it is lit up like an entire city! This is just one building and yet it shines more brightly than the surrounding towns. Might I suggest applying some anti reflective coatings to the glass and perhaps some shades on the windows at night? What about the newly installed sign? It shines so bright one would think that a meteorite is falling from the sky. You might consider a review of this sight and see if it is indeed following you town’s Performance Standards, specifically section 10. This site is full of offsite light spillage.

Well I did want to write to someone about this issue; it came to my attention one afternoon when I was in my yard. I happened to be walking up my driveway and saw this great shiny object in the sky and wondered what it was. Turned out to be Mediacom and its great reflective glass walls and then as I was sitting in my home one evening I looked out the window in the same direction and saw what I thought might be the illumination of a town or village. Nope, Mediacom again, I live on Route 94 in the town of Chester, several miles from this place just to give you some perspective. It is my belief that this sort of impact is by design and that perhaps it is an over sight on the town’s part? One would hope anyway.

Thank you for your time with this matter.

Timothy A Miller
Chester