The Connecticut Siting Council has approved Tarpon Towers III’s application to construct a 186-foot telecommunications tower at 78 Goshen East Street in South Norfolk.
The siting council’s final decision was issued last October, only two months after it had asked for an extension until March 13, 2026, the latest date by which, statutorily, it could reach a decision.
By October the siting council had all the information needed and granted a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need. According to Jonathan Schaefer, attorney for Tarpon, the council simply wanted to make sure it had sufficient time to consider all factors in setting the March 13 date.
The tower will provide service to a portion of south Norfolk and Goshen that currently has spotty or no cell service.
The council received the final documentation needed for a Development and Management Plan by March 23. The council will review it to ensure it complies with all conditions set forth in the final decision.
“If the council approves of the plan, which can take about two months, construction can begin—depending on weather and when the company gets all the equipment on site,” said Jonathan Schaefer, an attorney representing Tarpon.
During hearings about the tower, testimony focused on such factors as storm water runoff, habitat degradation, the effect of tree clearing on a “core forest” and possible alternate locations. The siting council imposed 18 conditions on its approval, most of them boilerplate restrictions placed on all cellular towers, according to Schaefer.
Two related specifically to 78 Goshen East Street. One is a “time of year” restriction to protect the red bat’s breeding season between May 1 and July 31.
The second condition required the D&M Plan to detail mitigation for clearing trees and to monitor the construction impact on the habitat.