Verizon Cell Tower Rejected By Milford Park Comission

The Park, Beach and Recreation Commission sent a strong, clear signal Wednesday night when it refused to allow a Verizon cell tower in Eisenower Park.

"Most people at our public hearing last month said that it shouldn't be at the YMCA, that Eisenhower Park would be a better site," chairman Dan Worroll said. "But there should have been a third choice -- no tower at all."

"I think it is about time that we put our foot down and say to people 'your voice matters,' " he said. "Enough is enough. I can't support any tower in Eisenhower Park. It is a park, not a commercial property."

Cellco Partners Inc., which does business as Verizon, had applied to the Connecticut Siting Council to erect a 120-foot tower on land behind the Woodruff Family YMCA on Orange Avenue. But the company voluntarily withdrew that application earlier this summer when homeowners in the neigborhood -- laced with farms, athletic fields and schools -- vigorously protested.

Residents of Flax Mill Terrace and other streets surrounding the 330-acre North Street park also protested when Eisenhower was offered as a compromise site. The park is bisected by 110-foot high voltage power lines that were approved by the siting council over the city's objections.

Commission members noted Wednesday night that the cell tower would be even taller than the poles carrying the power lines, and that the state does not permit cell towers on its property.

Although only a handful of residents attended the City Hall meeting, several reminded the commission that its function is to manage the public recreation facilities.

"Setting up the schedule of who can use the fields is one thing," Steve Borer said. "But this is something else. This is development and I don't want to see anything permanent in Eisenhower Park. People have been making that clear, but this administration has shown a total disregard."

Cellco Partners Inc. is considering alternate sites, including the Barretta Garden Center property across North Street from the park, company lawyer Ken Baldwin said earlier.

"But that doesn't mean that the Y is off the table," he said. "The plan would be that Verizon would reapply to the siting council with several possible sites, including the Y, Eisenhower Park and the Barretta Gardens Nursery for the council to evaluate."

ORIGINAL FRANK JULIANO STORY<

Cell Phone Tower Stirs Milford's North End

Many city residents have been concerned with the ambitions of Cellco Partnership. This company has big ambitions, to be exact their ambitions are about 140 Feet Tall and made of steel. They originally wanted to place this giant cell tower at the YMCA in the North end of town, but after lots of opposition from neighbors who feared Electromagnetism, decreased property values and unsightly views decided to scrap the idea and head for the park.

Eisenhower Park is now the new site Cellco proposed for the construction of this cell phone tower. This however did not satisfy its opponents, the battle will continue at city hall where a platoon of protesters led by Tina Laychak will take on the sharp speaking suits at Robinson & Cole, the Hartford-based law firm representing Cellco.

The purpose of this tower is somewhat of an enigma, a Verizon customer on North Street said he had "good reception with Verizon. No dropped calls. Don't have to go outside to make calls like Cingular, which also always dropped calls or I wouldn't get calls all together. Never had that problem with Verizon, their service is a lot better."

Personally I have made calls from both Eisenhower Park and the YMCA on my Sprint network and my reception is good and the phone always works. Perhaps there is more to this than just reception or putting up a pole certainly we will find out at the public hearing July 1 at 7 p.m. in the City Hall auditorium.

Another issue is the construction of a shed approximately 30 feet by 20 feet that will house additional equipment, and this is also an issue requiring debate as to its construction look and design. Cellco has even gone so far as to offer the city of Milford an undisclosed amount of money for use of its land at Eisenhower Park, but as of yet no deal has been made.

Some cities around the state have opted to resolve these issues through the use of tall buildings and churches with high steeples who are happy to accommodate cell phone equipment high up on their rooftops or in their bell towers and steeples. The cell phone companies pay these organizations for use of their space and cell companies have made a matchmaking business of it with willing participants.

Perhaps the solution to this problem is a nearby church, or tall building that would like to volunteer its steeple. Personally I am not really certain about what churches would work but certainly we should all agree that it would be much more pleasant than a 140 foot pole. We will anxiously wait and see what happens at city hall next month.