Mark Boughton

Recently the Connecticut Siting Council voted  the construction of a cell tower on Stadley Rough Rd. in Danbury.

What’s wrong with a cell-tower? Nothing except when it is located in the middle of a pristine  residential neighborhood.

Last year,  public hearing on the project drew several hundred residents in opposition to the construction of the facility.

What a facility it will be, over 100′ ft high with a small building located at the base of the tower, the building will house cooling devices, air conditioning equipment, as well as a generator to power the facility,operating 24-7.

All within a stones throw of homes and a neighborhood.

Not good if you have spent your entire life paying your mortgage, hoping to one day cash in on your nest egg. Only to find that the place that you picked to make your life time investment, has turned into an industrial area. Try selling your home to a family (I won’t go into them possible medical impact of a cell tower) with this facility sticking out like a sore thumb.

Several years ago the legislature in its wisdom decided to take local land use boards out of the decision making process. It is now up to the Connecticut Siting Council to make local land use decisions- bad idea.

Danbury and other communities in Connecticut should have a say where these facilities will be located in their community.

We need cell towers, no question about it, but they must fit in with the community that they serve.

Even though it’s a long shot, Danbury will appeal the decision of the Siting Council. We owe it to the thousands of neighbors and their property values that will be impacted should this facility get built.

That’s what your government should be doing- defending your neighborhood.

In the meantime, the Legislature should return the decision making process  back to the municipalities.