In 2014, a proposal to build a 120-foot cell tower on private Greens Farms Road property roiled the town.
Some residents praised it as much-needed technology. Others feared it would ruin the view of our “gateway to the beach.”
After several months of hearings, comments and hand-wringing, the applicant — North Atlantic Towers — quietly dropped the proposal.
Now, Tarpon Towers II has retained All Points Technology. They’re evaluating a “wireless communications facility modification” at the same site: 92 Greens Farms Road. That’s on the south side, abutting I-95 and not far from Hillspoint Road.
The cell tower was — and is again — planned for the house on the left: 92 Greens Farms Road. (Photo courtesy of Google Maps)
The facility would include a 124-foot tall monopole tower with a new 35′ x 64′ gravel-based fenced equipment compound. An access drive and underground electrical and telephone service would extend from Greens Farms Road. The new tower and equipment compound would allow for multiple service providers to be located there in the future.
To comply with the National Historic Preservation Act, the public has until July 7 to submit written comments regarding any potential effects of the facility on historic properties. Send to: All-Points Technology Corporation; Attention: Jennifer Young Gaudet; 567 Vauxhall Street Extension, Suite 311, Waterford, CT 06285. The phone number is 860-663-1697 ext. 231; email is jyounggaudet@allpointstech.com.
A cell tower.
Although the proposed tower facility location is at a private residence, under state law the Connecticut Siting Council has exclusive jurisdiction over telecommunication facilities like this monopole.
Westport’s Planning & Zoning Commission and other local land-use bodies have no jurisdiction over such a facility. If Tarpon Towers continues to seek this location for its proposed tower, the CSC will have oversight going forward.
1st Selectman Jim Marpe says, “As noted, we have dealt with this specific request once before. It is at the very preliminary stage of a larger process.
“Following the evaluation of the proposed tower facilities on historic properties, Tarpon Towers would be expected to file a petition with the CSC and seek consultation with the town. It is anticipated that the town attorney will seek to understand the necessity of the proposed tower facilities, as well as whether other sites may be available.
“Depending upon timing and procedure, eventually, there would be a public hearing on the matter. The town will make every reasonable effort to keep the public apprised of additional requests for input or revisions to the proposed plans.”
A cell tower is desperately needed in this area . Coverage at Compo and Longshore is terrible.
Seth let’s put that cell tower on your street then
I think Westport should worry less about a cell tower, and more about the
alcohol and drug use at Staples.
I live in that area and would LOVE to stop having calls dropped or having to say “hold on I am about to drive by Elvira’s and won’t be able to hear you”. We are talking about a site next to the highway, railroad and wires, not Veteran’s Green. If you want to use cell phones you need to accept towers that may also benefit people beyond our own community. Negotiate a low adjacent structure with lots of evergreen screening from the road and move on to more important topics.
DRIVING and TAlKING on cell phone? Looking for an accident
I hope someone asks the technical questions regarding topography and cell towers on a hill. We rented an appartment on Southport beach. It was a stone’s throw from the Greens Farms cell tower. We were told by our cellular service provider that the reason our phones didn’t connect was because the wireless signal goes right over our location. The area around Elvira’s may still be in a drop zone.
Well, it certainly won’t be beautiful, but Hillspoint Road is a zombie cell area. Too bad they can’t do it unobtrusively but always hard to do.
When you drive on the Merritt into NY, there’s a rest stop/gas station that can be accessed from either direction. There’s a gigantic cell tower there, but you can’t see it. It’s disguised as a tree. (Hint)
Many dead zones in Westport. Existing cell towers are far and over subscribed. Does anyone remember what happened during the power outage after the Tornado last year? People couldnt even call 911 if they needed to. That said, if a new cell tower is erected, I would say its important to make sure the company does not cheap out, installs adequate back-haul AND radio capacity AS WELL as a diesel generator with plenty of on-site fuel. On another but related note, there have been several approved micro-cells going back years, to help cover the Saugatuck area, but they were never built. The microcells are small, can help fill-in dead spots, but usually do not have automatic backup generator power and typically rely on a nearby cell tower with adequate capacity that they can capture usable signal from (although the one in Saugatuck may have actually been relying on a fiber optic back haul). What is ridiculous is how some of the cell companies advertise coverage in areas where there is no usable coverage (either due to poor signal/distance, oversubscribed radios, or oversubscribed/inadequate backhaul). They should not be able to continue to advertise service when there are well-documented and known issues going back many years.
I would like to think that by now we are past towers and into other technologies such as satellites. First off – we need to put this in proper context. This is presented as a save your rear communication vehicle. For sure this may be the result which in fact can be accomplished by other means such as transmitters which can pick up and retransmit a signal from installation (pole) to installation. I believe this is what was accomplished at the Compo and Longshore area. Back to the Tower – This is actually a physical platform on which space is sold at very profitable lease rates.. (Do you really think a company would invest millions only to give a few of us better service) The building of a tower is no different that building a strip shopping center on the Post Road. You build the space than you rent it under lease agreements with tenants whose customers buy goods from the tenants. Instead of spaghetti sauce in a jar we get talk or text in a package.
Enough Already!!!
As so often the case, the words of Michael Calise are well set forth. I am disappointed that several above comments are supportive. Cell towers at this stage are approaching dinosaur status, at least new ones. Led by Jim Marpe, Town Attorney Ira Bloom and the public, both dwelling near the cell tower and throughout Westport, the prior effort was defeated. I am confident in our Town’s commitment to avoiding huge towers that loom over the landscape, above the tree line and reflect old technology. While scientists, but surely not all, dismiss the health issues, I had two young neighbors who recently died from brain cancer. One, I know, worked close to a cell tower.
The industry has convinced the public that the electromagnetic waves from cell towers are harmless. I do not think that is an issue to be summarily dismissed and there are many reputable scientists who agree with me. The site proposed has surface issues that were well addressed by our excellent Conservation Director, Alicia Mozian. Finally, since the first battle, carriers have installed smaller, on telephone poles, units to address coverage. I hope a strong majority in Westport do not simply focus on an occasional dropped call or some other minor burden to promote this proposed ugly tower that will loom above Westport for all to see as they go to our beaches. Westporters are better than that.
Don Bergmann
Lol the primary worry at that intersection is a cell tower?
Westport is know for its physical beauty. We also have very smart residents. Can’t we find a way to go forward with cell technology that won’t be an eyesore or potentially unhealthy?
Many people no longer have landlines and rely on cellular service, which includes 911. This area has little or no service and its a safety issue. Disguise the tower as a tree. While you know its not, it still looks better than a tower.