Date: Fri 10-Jan-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Rock-Ridge-cell-tower-Sprint

Full Text:

Rock Ridge Cell Tower Application Withdrawn

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

In the face of strong neighborhood opposition to its proposal to build a

180-foot-tall tower for digital cellular telecommunications off Rock Ridge

Road in Dodgingtown, Sprint Spectrum on Tuesday withdrew its proposal from

Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) consideration.

The limited partnership had been scheduled to present its request for two

zoning variances for a tower to the ZBA at a public hearing Tuesday night, but

the hearing was canceled after Sprint withdrew the application. Such variances

would allow the construction of a tower which is taller than allowed by town

zoning regulations, as well as permit a secondary use of a residential

property.

After Sprint submitted its tower application to the ZBA recently, residents

living near the site strenuously objected to the proposal, listing a variety

of reasons why the structure shouldn't be built on residentially-zoned

property at 30 Rock Ridge Road, about halfway between Robin Hill Road and

Birch Hill Road. Complaints included fears that radio frequency emissions from

the antennas on the tower could be harmful; nearby property values would

decrease; and the structure would be unsightly. The site has 11 adjoining

properties.

Sprint conducted an informational session for residents January 4 at which

issues concerning the tower were discussed.

Sprint is expected to resubmit an application in the future to build a

telecommunications tower and antenna array somewhere to serve the Route 302

area.

Virginia Iannini of 55-A Scudder Road, whose property abuts the 30 Rock Ridge

Road site, stressed that the area is residentially zoned and is an

inappropriate place for a telecommunications tower.

"Property values probably (would) fall simply because of the perceived health

risk," she said.

People living in the area moved there so they could live in a country setting,

Ms Iannini said. Once a telecommunications company locates a tower in a

residential neighborhood, it will seek to build towers in other residential

neighborhoods, she said, adding that it is inappropriate to have commercial

land uses in residential areas.

Sprint representatives were seeking out possible tower sites in the Rock Ridge

neighborhood for months before submitting the application for 30 Rock Ridge

Road, she said.

Sprint wanted to build the tower on a hilltop on the wooded southeast corner

of a 6.7-acre residential property at 30 Rock Ridge Road owned by Jeffrey and

Maureen Helgren.

Mrs Helgren said Wednesday that in light of the neighborhood opposition to the

tower proposal, she and her husband decided they didn't want a tower on their

property. Following the January 4 informational meeting, Sprint said it would

release them from a lease agreement they had entered into with the company,

she said.

"They were vey pleasant about it," Mrs Helgren said.

In its application to the town, Sprint stated operating a telecommunications

tower would have little or no impact on the residential use of the area. The

local topography and site conditions encourage using the land for an antenna

tower, Sprint states. The site is near Route 302 which is the focal point for

digital cellular communications in that area.

The Helgren site "is one of the few sites which has an elevation and

surrounding topography which would permit the proposed use and which is in

close proximity to Route 302," according to Sprint.

Sprint states the presence of a tower is necessary to establish its Personal

Communications Services (PCS) wireless network under the terms of the Federal

Telecommunications Act.

A November ZBA decision to allow Sprint to build a 150-foot-tall tower for

telecommunications near the Newtown-Monroe border has been challenged in

court.

In a lawsuit which has been filed in Danbury Superior Court, property owner

Deborah Schneider of Fairfield, who owns 350 South Main Street, sued over

Sprint's plans to build a freestanding, monopole-style tower on land the

company would lease on industrially-zoned land at 352 South Main Street. Ms

Schneider's adjacent property has residential zoning.