T-Mobile goes before the Connecticut Siting Council Tuesday to show the public its plans for a new cell phone tower on the grounds of Silver Hill Hospital. The company is confident the structure will improve service along Route 123, Valley Road, and Silvermine Road. And based on what New Canaanites had to say, the boost will be much appreciated.
I think that would be very good because its a drop out area and police and fireman probably have difficulty in that area with reception, said Ellen Brakeley. Ive heard they can disguise them very well and I think in that area, it would be a very good place to put it. In its application, T-Mobile said it plans to install a single-pole tower, which will be shielded from most views by trees surrounding the hospitals 42-acre property.
Letter Carrier Jim Paules agreed that better service in the area would be a good thing, but offers one caveat. I wouldnt object, if it meant getting better phone service, but I would object, if it has some type of environmental impact, he said. Still, As someone who spends his day driving all over New Canaan, he knows first-hand the problems with the towns coverage. At times, when I call my supervisor, theres no reception, Paules said. So it would be better for my work.
Residents get their chance to comment on the plan Tuesday at Town Hall. A meeting at the proposed site begins at 2 p.m. T-Mobile will raise a balloon 120 feet in the air to show neighbors how high the tower would reach. Then, the hearing reconvenes at Town Hall at 3 p.m., when both T-Mobile and opponents make their case to the Siting Council. Residents can also make brief statements at a second public hearing that evening, starting at 7 p.m., and they can also fill out Stadlers survey through the towns website.
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