Residents search for answers and alternatives

By Avice Meehan

The letters arrived in March and residents of Old Goshen Road, Smith Road and the surrounding area thought nothing would happen. A representative of Smartlink, a company working on behalf of Verizon, was looking for a location for a new cell tower. Surely, they thought, no one in South Norfolk would offer to lease a piece of land.

They were wrong. 

A little more than a month ago, as Sloane Klevin drove up Old Goshen Road, she saw a group of cars and people in yellow vests looking at a piece of property. As she later recalled, it was clear they were not thinking about building a house on the heavily wooded parcel.

Klevin, a resident of Old Goshen Road, swung into action. It turned out that the 10-acre property is owned by a Florida man who inherited the land from his father and had never visited Norfolk. In fact, Michael Farrington’s family had once lived in Klevin’s 18^th-century house.

“All of us are concerned that no one will want to buy a property next to a cell tower,” said Sue Frisch, a longtime Old Goshen  Road resident. Frisch’s property includes a beaver pond and upwards of a dozen nests for the migratory great blue heron. 

The neighbors, already struggling with the long-term impact of two washed out bridges, are pursuing a three-pronged strategy to prevent the tower from being built on Farrington’s property. They are trying to raise money to buy the land outright; to identify other, less disruptive locations for the tower; and to learn more about their options for intervening in the approval process before the Connecticut Siting Council.

Farrington, who declined comment for this story, has spoken to Klevin several times. He confirmed that he had received an offer from Smartlink and was discussing a lease on the property.  According to Klevin, they also discussed a potential purchase price.

Amy White, the Smartlink representative who signed the inquiry letters, also declined to comment. “I need to speak to our attorney and the tower company,” White said, when asked to respond to a list of questions sent in advance.

At least one resident on Old Goshen Road has spoken with White about alternate locations. Fred Knight, whose house is located directly across from a potential entrance to the tower site, owns 160 acres and said he could offer options that are accessible from Route 272. Access to a site through the South Norfolk Lumber Co. could also be an option, but the owner of that property has not heard from Smartlink.

“They said they would have the engineers look at [my] sites,” Knight said, noting that it is difficult to know exactly what the company is seeking.

Chris Serico, a senior communications manager for Verizon, did not answer questions about the company’s requirements or offer specific details.

“We know Connecticut relies on Verizon,” Serico said in a statement.” In addition to enhancing our network on Old Goshen Road in Norfolk, our engineers are working every day to investigate additional local opportunities and improve the overall customer experience.”

Norfolk currently has four cell towers or antennas at locations on Ashpohtag and Winchester roads, Loon Meadow Drive and Greenwoods Road East (Route 44). According to a database maintained by the State of Connecticut, they serve multiple providers, including Verizon, and range from 150 to 180 feet tall. Just don’t try to use a cell phone on the way to Torrington.

“They have been trying to deal with the gap in cell phone coverage for a long time,” said Klevin.

Fundraising to purchase Farrington’s parcel has been a challenge. Klevin, who led the effort, said she has spoken to people all over Norfolk about the idea. They are sympathetic, but the process would be slow and perhaps unsuccessful.

The likelihood of success before the Siting Council is low. The council was established to oversee decisions about locating electric transmission lines, hazardous waste facilities and other utilities, including cell towers. It has the power to override local planning decisions and, in the case of cell towers, must act within a reasonable time frame. 

The wooded property, crisscrossed by stone walls, is considered a possible home for the red bat, which is listed as a species of special concern by Connecticut. The Natural Resources Inventory, published in 2009, also lists both Old Goshen and Smith roads as part of the town’s scenic resources. In addition, Old Goshen Road is less than 20-feet wide and very steep.