Branford Eagle

Environment

“Block the Dock” Succeeds

by Diana Stricker | Dec 6, 2011 2:09 pm | Comments (1)

The “dock to nowhere” isn’t going anywhere. 

The Pawson Park neighborhood’s “Block the Dock” campaign has led to the withdrawal of an application to build a dock on Branford’s Sunset Beach.

“We are thrilled,” said Edward Zelinsky, an attorney and Pawson Park resident who volunteered his services to the 100 families who have access to the beach.

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Cell Tower Companies Seek To Hide Data From Storms

by Diana Stricker | Nov 15, 2011 2:15 pm | Comments (3)

The public may never know the full impact that Tropical Storm Irene and the recent surprise autumn snowstorm had on cell service in Connecticut because cell companies are attempting to shield the details from public scrutiny.

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Linden Ave. Coming Back

by marcia chambers | Sep 13, 2011 10:22 am

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, the Board of Selectmen (BOS) took the first steps yesterday to restore Linden Avenue, the only road leading to a peninsula where 400 families live. The hurricane surge undermined the roadway when huge rocks broke loose from beneath the road.  The Pawson Park neighborhood was virtually stranded.

Saying this was an emergency, the BOS held a special meeting Monday afternoon at Town Hall, where it unanimously waived bids to hire a company to stabilize the slope under Linden Avenue. The board also discussed Phase II of the project, which includes repairing the seawall, sections of which are in disarray.

In a separate action, the BOS also approved a request to waive bids to purchase four emergency generators, to be used in the Short Beach area where Beckett Avenue, like Linden Avenue, was seriously compromised. Both avenues face beach fronts. 
     

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Lights Out In Branford

by marcia chambers | Aug 28, 2011 6:55 pm | Comments (8)

Hurricane Irene roared across the shoreline Sunday, plunging the towns of Branford and Guilford into darkness and downing hundreds of trees, many with electric wires entangled within them. Many roads along the shoreline were closed.

There were 85 different locations where trees landed on electrical wires, said Kevin Halloran, the town’s newly appointed police chief, who was expected to be sworn in on Sept. 1. “And we have more than 100 trees blocking roads.”

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11th Hour Cell Tower Reprieve

by Diana Stricker | Aug 12, 2011 10:07 am

Branford received an 11th-hour reprieve when a cell company agreed to postpone a hearing scheduled next week for a 160-foot cell tower on Pleasant Point Road.

The town’s Cell Tower Advisory Committee and its consultants, including David Maxson, the town’s consulting engineer (pictured above)  met Monday with T-Mobile to present Maxson’s new options.  Afterwards, T-Mobile agreed to postpone the Tuesday, Aug. 16 hearing and study the alternative proposals.

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DEEP Sets Public Hearing For “Dock To Nowhere”

by Diana Stricker | Jul 6, 2011 11:02 am | Comments (2)

A neighborhood’s efforts to stop a dock from being built on Sunset Beach has prompted the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to take an unusual step to schedule a public hearing. In addition, the issue has raised questions once again about whether a Harbor Management Commission should be formed in Branford.

Edward Zelinsky, an attorney who lives near the proposed dock in the Pawson Park neighborhood, said he was delighted when DEEP officials informed him of their decision to hold a hearing. “DEEP rarely does this,” he said.

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Cell Tower Bill Advances

by Diana Stricker | May 27, 2011 1:11 pm

Legislation to update the state’s process for approving cell towers, introduced by State Rep. Lonnie Reed (D-Branford), was overwhelmingly approved Thursday by the House of Representatives and now moves to the Senate.

Reed has been fighting for two years to change procedures of the Connecticut Siting Council (CSC), which has sole jurisdiction for the placement of cell towers.She won unanimous bi-partisan approval in the House last year.  Last night she answered questions on the bill before the House, which eventually approved the bill 128-10.

The bill garnered bipartisan support; the CSC is not opposed to it.  What opposition there is centers on concerns by some cell tower companies on the 250-foot set back provision regarding commercial day care centers. 

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Public Absent At Cell Tower Hearing In Branford

by Diana Stricker | Apr 22, 2011 8:37 am | Comments (1)

No members of the public spoke during a public hearing regarding a 109-foot cell tower, disguised as a rustic water tank, that is being proposed for Route 146 on farm property owned by the Medlyn family in Branford.

The town itself was well represented by an attorney who specializes in cell tower issues, and by town officials. The hearing Wednesday was conducted by the Connecticut Siting Council (CSC), which has jurisdiction over cell tower placement. During the two-hour afternoon session, the CSC and Branford’s attorney questioned the three carriers involved in the project: Cellco (Verizon), AT&T and T-Mobile. The evening session was reserved for public comments, but since there were none, the afternoon session was reconvened.

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Bf’d, Land Trusts Buy Johnson Farm

by marcia chambers | Mar 30, 2011 9:05 pm | Comments (1)

Saying this was an historic day for farming in Branford, First Selectman Unk DaRos handed over two checks totaling $1.325 million to the owners of the Johnson Farm, an action that preserves open space, permits farming and prohibits development.

Under a unique three-way agreement that was years in the making, three entities, each with different legal requirements, purchased the farm’s easement rights. They are the town of Branford, the Branford Land Trust,(BLT)  and the Connecticut Farmland Trust.(CFT)  The proposal was approved by the Board of Selectmen in May and by the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) in January. The easement is forever.

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Johnson Farm Purchase Knits Together Open Space

by Diana Stricker | Feb 7, 2011 10:54 am | Comments (2)

The winter woods were quiet as walkers made their way through fields and woodlands newly acquired by the Branford Land Trust. Some were thinking about the decade-long efforts to obtain the properties, others considering the long road ahead to raise funds to complete the purchases. Everyone was enjoying the landscape that will be protected for generations to come.

“We all had a great time walking around,” said Meg Kilgore, president of the Land Trust. She talked about the goals of the all-volunteer organization. “We like to preserve nature for the benefit of people so they can get outdoors and exercise and go walking. We also care about and want to preserve the natural species. … Open space enhances the value of a community. It makes the town more pleasant and livable.”

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