Informational meeting to be held March 26

By Avice Meehan

Verizon Wireless has dropped plans to erect a cell tower off Old Goshen Road and is now seeking to locate the 186-foot tower on part of a 40-acre parcel off Estey Road in South Norfolk.

An informational meeting about the proposed tower has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 26, at 7 p.m., in the Hall of Flags at Botelle Elementary School. The presentation was requested by the town’s Inland Wetlands Agency, as well as the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Technical information related to the proposed tower was filed with the town on Jan. 2 by Robinson+Cole, a law firm based in Hartford. The filing, which triggers a 90-day clock for filing a formal application with the Connecticut Siting Council, was made on behalf of Tarpon Towers III LLC and Cellco Partnership (doing business as Verizon).

The property is owned by Paul Chapinsky Sr., and the actual address is 78 Goshen East Street. The proposed cell tower would be in the western corner of his land and would be accessed via a gravel access road off Estey Road. The installation would be fenced in and include a generator and propane tank.

The new location appears to have generated little controversy. Stacy Sefcik, who serves as Norfolk’s land use officer, said one local property owner reviewed the plans on file at Town Hall, but appeared to have few questions.

The original site under consideration was opposed by residents of Old Goshen and Smith Roads. The entrance was roughly 300 feet away from a home owned by Fred Knight and was also near a nesting site for Great Blue Herons on property owned by Sue Frisch. Residents of the area have also had to contend with the impact of washed-out bridges and a lengthy detour via Bruey Road.

Norfolk currently has four cell towers or antennas, according to a database maintained by the State of Connecticut. They serve a variety of providers, including Verizon. However, there is a major gap in service between Norfolk and Torrington, as well as Goshen.

“We can provide input and make suggestions, but ultimately the decision is made by the Siting Council,” Sefcik said. Members of the Inland Wetlands Agency expressed concern about whether the access road crisscrossed wetlands along Estey Road. Sefcik has also asked Robinson+Cole to make sure a balloon test is performed. This involves floating a balloon at the height of the proposed tower to assess visibility in the area.