On April 17, Tarpon Towers and Cellco Partnership (d/b/a Verizon Wireless) officially filed an application with the Connecticut Siting Council to construct a telecommunications facility at 78 Goshen East Street. The siting council has until September 14 to decide the issue.
The tower, which would serve a portion of south Norfolk and Goshen that has no current cell service, would be located on a secluded parcel of land. Two weeks ago, a balloon float was conducted to determine the visibility of the proposed 186-foot-tall tower in the surrounding study area.
The tower, according to the application, will be located in the western portion of the 41-acre parcel and has few residences nearby. The closest house is 680 feet away and the surrounding terrain is hilly and densely forested.
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 Amos Baldwin house, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is about a half mile southeast of the proposed site and there are several municipal, state and private open-space parcels located throughout the study area.
The company used both computer modeling and the balloon test to assess the visual impact of the tower throughout the study area. The data was manipulated to indicate “visible cells” where the tower might be glimpsed at an average eye height (5 feet from the ground). The report cautions, however, that computer analysis cannot predict all variables such as vegetation, structures and the variability of topography.
The report concluded that visibility will be restricted to a few locations along an approximately half-mile section of Estey Road, to an open field on the northeast and to North Pond on the south. Visibility on Estey Road will be primarily seasonal, and the site will not be visible from any other roads in the study area.
There will be no visual impact on the Amos Baldwin House or on the open space properties or trails.
The siting council will hold a public hearing where they application will be reviewed and discussed. Residents can formally request party or intervenor status from the Connecticut Siting Council (CSC) and submit evidence, present witnesses and question other participants in the proceeding. Residents can also choose to make a limited appearance at the hearing, which allows them to provide input without becoming a formal party or intervenor.
A request for intervenor status must be made at least five days before a public hearing. For more information and an intervenor form, click here.
While residents can participate in the process and provide input, the CSC ultimately makes the decision on whether to grant the certificate for the tower.