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EASTON, Conn. Have you wondered what the proposed cell tower on Center Road in Easton would look like? Gia Watkins did and decided to superimpose a cell tower, made to scale, on several photos taken near the proposed site on Ganim Farm.
The Ganim family signed a lease in November with Message Center Management to erect a 160-foot-tall antenna on a parcel of land on Center Road, near Adams Road. MCM conducted a balloon fly on the site Wednesday, designed to give the company a visual of how the tower would look. As the balloon was floating in the air, Watkins drove around town, snapping photos from various sites.
I did this because I really do believe that a picture can say a thousand words, Watkins said. I did this because there is a big difference between looking at a red and yellow balloon and looking at a cell tower.
Watkins lives directly behind the Ganim Farm on Adams Road and has, what she calls, the best view of where the tower could go. Watkins emailed the photos to several of her neighbors and created a public Flickr page in hopes of raising public awareness on the visual aspect of the proposed tower.
The rumbling in her neighborhood is that if a tower were to be erected, it could hurt property values. She said many are concerned that it could have a negative impact on historical homes in the region and take away from the rural appeal of Easton.
Though Watkins admits that she doesnt want a cell tower in her backyard, she says she does see the need for one in Easton. Am I against a tower in town? No, I see the need for one, but we just need to be responsible about where we put one, she said.
Three cell tower applications have been made in town, one on Snows Farm, one at Veterans Field and now Ganim Farm. Watkins said she would like to see a tower built on Veterans Field because the town could then see some revenue. According to First Selectman Thomas Herrmann, a resident or town looking to have a cell tower on their property could receive $30,000 to $60,000 annually.
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