The Connecticut Siting Council has extended its deliberations about construction of a cell tower at 78 Goshen East Street until March 13, 2026, because the public hearing on the application was not held until a month before the decision deadline.
The proposed tower would provide service to a portion of south Norfolk and Goshen that currently has spotty or no Verizon service. There is a weak AT&T signal in some areas.
A ruling had been expected by September 14 on whether Tarpon Towers and Cellco Partnership (d/b/a Verizon Wireless) could construct the 186-foot-tall telecommunications facility on a secluded parcel of land some 800 feet from the road. Following an August 14 public hearing, however, council members said additional time would be needed.
The time for public comment via mail or email still closes on September 13, after which no further new testimony will be received. A transcript of the public hearing is available in the Town Clerk’s office.
Questioning by Siting Council site analyst Robert Mercier focused on such factors as storm water runoff from the site and possible alternate locations. He was assured that water flow from the site would follow a natural drainage path.
Alternate locations for the tower would place it at lower elevations and would result in a taller structure.
The proposed location is in an area where telecommunications for emergency services and road maintenance crews are sketchy or non-existent. The town has an opportunity to put an antenna on the tower to correct this. The same offer has been extended to Litchfield County Dispatch and the state police.
Mercier was told that lowering the tower’s height to 170 feet would create “significant gaps” in coverage. Those testifying for the applicant insisted that the visibility of the tower will be minimal despite its extending 100 feet above the tree canopy around it.
In the spring a balloon float was conducted to determine its visibility in the surrounding study area. Areas of potential concern included the northern end of Goshen East Street, which abuts the property, and is a locally designated scenic road. Route 272, which runs through the eastern half of the study area, is a state-designated scenic highway. The results of the test indicated limited visibility from most locations.
The state Council on Environmental Quality has expressed concern that the access road and facility site are in a designated “core forest” and placement there would degrade habitat. The applicants’ representatives said the area has been harvested before and that the access road was previously cleared. But they conceded that a “significant amount” of mature trees would be removed.
The applicants contend that only 1 percent of the core forest would be affected.