No decision yet on cell tower

FALLS VILLAGE — The Connecticut Siting Council closed the hearing on the proposed cell tower at 8 Barnes Road last week. Ellery Sinclair, chairman of the Inland Wetlands Commission (one of three entities opposing the tower) said he has no “gut feeling” about what the council’s decision will be.The proposed site is on the Route 63 side of Cobble Hill (an earlier version was on the very top). Access is via an old logging trail. The tower would be 150 feet tall.Last week’s continued hearing followed a lengthy hearing in February, at the Lee H. Kellogg school. At that hearing, Sinclair (on behalf of Inland Wetlands), representatives from the Planning and Zoning Commission and Guy and Patty Rovezzi (representing themselves) all made presentations on what they saw as problems with the site.First Selectman Pat Mechare read a statement expressing the selectmen’s opposition, Volunteer Fire Department Chief Dave Seney said it would be difficult for emergency personnel to respond to the site, and several residents in the neighborhood said they didn’t like the idea at all.Because the hearing is now closed, Sinclair was able to comment, but he would not even hazard a guess on the probable outcome.“It’s just a matter of waiting.”And it may be a while. Linda Roberts, executive director of the Siting Council, said that the decision deadline is July 29, “but it is fully expected the Council will request another 30-day extension.”

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