Cell Towers Multiply

The state has approved a second cell tower for Branford in a little more than a year’s time, and a public hearing is scheduled for a third tower Aug. 16. The location of a fourth tower is still under discussion.

Branford, which already has several towers, has been hit with an onslaught of proposals as cell companies attempt to fill in coverage gaps. Meanwhile, the town is making progress in its efforts to minimize the impact of the new towers. 

The town’s Cell Tower Advisory Committee has been working diligently with an engineering consultant and an attorney who specialize in cell tower issues. The committee was formed after the 125-foot tower on Pine Orchard Road was approved in February 2010.

“We’ve been exploring a lot of different options,” said Doug Marsh, (pictured)  who chairs the Cell Tower Advisory Committee. He provided an update Tuesday at a meeting of the Stony Creek Association, whose neighborhood had been targeted with tower proposals.

“We started to formulate a strategy both from a neighborhood perspective and from a water view,” Marsh said. He explained how the consulting engineer mapped out existing cell towers in town according to signal strength. The results of those efforts can be seen on the town’s website by clicking on the GIS map.

“The frustration we’ve had is trying to find the least obtrusive solution that takes into account our citizens….and provides adequate coverage,” Marsh said.

In addition to trying to find alternative sites for a proposed Short Beach tower, the committee has succeeded in scheduling a meeting with T-Mobile prior to the public hearing later this month for their proposed 160-foot tower on Pleasant Point Road.

MEDLYN FARM TOWER

The Connecticut Siting Council (CSC) recently approved a 109-foot cell tower, disguised as a rustic water tank, along Route 146 on the Medlyn Farm property. David Martin, of the CSC, said the approval was granted during the agency’s July 28 meeting and is conditioned on Verizon submitting final site development plans. It typically takes several weeks or months for final plans to be submitted and approved.

The CSC, which has jurisdiction over cell towers, held a hearing on the Medlyn Farm tower in April. No members of the public attended. However, the town was represented by New Haven attorney Keith Ainsworth, a cell tower specialist.

The tower, which will be shared by Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, will be located at 723 Leetes Island Rd. That roadway is also known as Route 146, which is a state-designated scenic road with sections listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Because of the historic nature of the area, local and state entities had some input into the height and design of the tower. Verizon agreed to reduce the height of the tower from 120 feet to 109 feet, and to disguise it as a rustic water tank.

Karyl Lee Hall, a member of the town’s Cell Tower Advisory Committee and the co-chair of the Scenic Road Advisory Committee, spoke during the public hearing in regard to historic issues.

PLEASANT POINT TOWER

The CSC has scheduled public hearings Aug. 16 regarding T-Mobile’s application to build a 160-foot tower on property owned by Tilcon at 77-145 Pleasant Point Rd. Hearings are slated for 3 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. at the Blackstone Memorial Library. The afternoon session is typically for formal presentations by the cell company and intervenors, while the evening session offers residents an opportunity to voice opinions.

Unlike other locations where two or three companies share a tower, no other cell providers to date have expressed interest in T-Mobile’s proposed site.

Hearings for the Pleasant Point site were initially scheduled in January, but T-Mobile requested a postponement claiming they were not able to respond to questions from Branford’s attorney prior to the hearing date.

During his presentation Tuesday, Marsh said the town’s consulting engineer and attorney have come up with options to the Pleasant Point tower which would reduce the size and impact. The plan would also provide service to the Stony Creek area.

He said T-Mobile has agreed to meet with the local committee and consultants next week to discuss options.

“We have been pursuing this meeting for a long time,” Marsh said. He said the group hopes T-Mobile may amend the application or agree to another postponement once the company sees the proposal developed by the town’s consulting engineer David Maxson. “This seems to be a practical solution to us,” Marsh said.

SHORT BEACH TOWER—EAST HAVEN

While several proposals have been made by cell companies to provide cell coverage in Branford’s Short Beach neighborhood, all the sites have proved problematic.

AT&T and North Atlantic Towers were prepared to file an application for Short Beach with the CSC in December 2010, but agreed to a postponement at the town’s request  to provide time to look into other site options.

In recent months, North Atlantic Towers has expressed interest in building a 125-foot tower at 82 Short Beach Road in East Haven, on property at the Riverside Volunteer Fire Department.  This location, which is near Branford’s Short Beach border, could serve both communities.

Dave Anderson, East Haven’s zoning enforcement officer, told the Eagle that company officials notified East Haven that they want to set up informal meetings with town officials to discuss the proposal. North Atlantic Towers also published a legal notice earlier this summer briefly outlining their intentions.

NEW STATE CELL TOWER LAW

There is also news on the state front regarding cell tower legislation introduced by State Rep. Lonnie Reed, (D-Branford).

Reed has been fighting for two years to change CSC procedures to allow towns to have more say in locating cell towers. “This bill is a rational, reasonable and realistic approach,” Reed told the Eagle.

An important provision in the bill would extend the pre-application process from the current 60 days to 90 days. This would allow towns more time to participate in the process, and it would require applicants to provide towns with precise information and maps.

The bill would also allow the CSC to impose fines up to $10,000 for applicants who intentionally file inaccurate or misleading information. It would also encourage telecommunications applicants to use miniaturized technology when possible; and to promote regionally preferred sites to serve wider areas and protect scenic and environmental assets.

Reed’s legislation passed the House with an overwhelming bi-partisan vote and was unanimously approved by the Senate. Reed said the governor was prepared to sign it, but one of the governor’s top attorneys said there was a question about language in the bill that needed to be addressed. So the governor vetoed the bill.

Reed said bills often have language or technical issues that need to be rectified before becoming law. She is hopeful the cell tower bill will be included with a group of bills that will be considered when the legislature meets in special session in September.

Reed said in an interview that she is frustrated by the delay but still optimistic about the outcome. “As I always say, you have to be both a sprinter and a long-distance runner in this business. And, backed by enormous support from both sides of the aisle, I intend to stay the course and cross our finish line,” she said.

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