11 thoughts on “P&Z To Take Public Comment Monday Night on Proposed West School Cell Tower

  1. I was at the site visit on Friday. I was struck by the simple fact that at 900+/- as is listed on the document provided to us by the Town Planner, I could not only see the fence of the playground, but we could all hear the children laughing and playing outside on the beautiful day that it was. The 900 feet measures only to the tip of the gymnasium, NOT the playground. It makes it more like 450 feet. Children’s skulls are not fully formed when they are this age. How can we subject them to close to 6000 hours of radiation from these towers? How can we subject the staff, neighbors and visitors to that? Study after study has been done in Europe stating how much more likely people in close proximity to cell towers have higher rates of cancer. Why here? This is the largest 8 Track Tape Player left in production. There is better technology out there. Let’s find it together.

  2. A “modern town” would look at more modern technology. Not outdated monopine technology (at an elementary school?). I am
    NOT arguing the need for better service. I’ll ask the same questions I did back in July when this was forced on us residents:
    Where is the due diligence on this project? Where is the data that the Richey tower has, in fact, enhanced cell service? What other technologies have been evaluated and presented to BoS, P & Z, Town Council? Why were other, more modern technologies not chosen? What is the enhanced service range of the monopine at West? Why Homeland Towers (NOT one of the top providers)? Who services this at West school on a regular basis? Maybe one could answer their constituents with a thorough response that shows you actually listen and have done your homework in the current environment (not using data from years ago). Public comments at a plethora of 6 and 7pm town meetings are great but if the comments are never addressed, what’s the point? A campaign promise and handshake with Homeland isn’t enough for me to buy in.

  3. I struggle with how the town I call home could even propose to put a huge cell tower behind an elementary school where sweet children learn and play all day. Parents at West aren’t even permitted inside the school to drop off a forgotten lunch bag. How does the town propose to monitor the countless individuals that will be building this monstrosity and then having to service it? We can do better for our children New Canaan.

  4. The manner in which this has been handled is disappointing. I appreciate the detailed coverage that has helped our community regain accountability, and I hope our P&Z Commission and Town Council will right the ship.

  5. The Zoom Link and Agenda for tonight’s Special P+Z Meeting has not been posted on the Government Calendar as of 9:20am today:
    https://www.newcanaan.info/calendar.php

    However, if you go to the Documents on Demand you will find the Agenda and Link. Resident comments are very important but they must be communicated to the P+Z Commissions via email, zoom or in person during the public comment period.

    https://newcanaantownct.documents-on-demand.com/?l=05aedc058979e911a2cd000c29a59557&r=B31D2CFA7DD0BE77539263E3124B3290&d=120aed7d4a51ed11a395000c29a59557

    Your comments are important but they need to go to the P+Z commissioners.
    Email your comments and include your full legal name and street address SEND TO:
    Town Planner: lynn.brooksavni@newcanaanct.gov
    and cc Administrative Assistant: lola.sweeney@newcanaanct.gov

  6. These West School children cannot choose to be there as it is in the case of the cell towers at Waveny Park. State compulsory education laws require children to attend school. These children do not have a choice or a voice, so we have to speak up for them!

    If this cell tower is approved at West School, which school will be next? South school? East School? The West School cell tower will pave the way for other cell towers at all other schools. Our town will be known for its cell towers and cell reception instead of the great schools many of us moved to New Canaan for.

  7. Kevin Moynihan has left West School parents in the dark.

    I attended the site visit on Friday and directly asked Mr. Moynihan why parents haven’t been informed about tonight’s meeting. He dodged the question. Some of our new town council members have been pushing to get information to parents.

    Mr. Moynihan claims this tower is for the safety of the students and that parents need to “get on board.” So why not take the time to educate parents about this potential tower and the approval process? Why is he hiding from sharing information if this is good for our children? Release the memo from Ira Bloom. Why did he try to get the Board of Selectman to sign a lease with Homeland Towers in the middle of July when families were away?

    Mr. Moynihan has also claimed at a recent Board of Selectman meeting that after meeting with the school’s Crisis Advisory Board that the “teachers” are in favor of a cell tower. That is grossly misleading. The BOE confirmed that no teachers were present at that meeting. That meeting consisted of school administration officials. Let’s not speak for our teachers who might have the same concerns as parents, especially as many of them will be at West for years.

    Mr. Moynihan, please stop misleading residents and your colleagues.

  8. Towns throughout Connecticut surely would be troubled to learn their control over town-owned property was given away to a statewide siting council. I would be surprised if the Connecticut courts reached the same conclusion as our Town Attorney has advocated in this memo.

  9. The unanswered question after last night’s P&Z meeting is “what’s the rush?” Mobile transmission technology has changed greatly since 2014, when the last needs study was conducted. As Commissioner Radman observed, distributed nodes would address any alleged safety concerns as well as, if not better than, a risky 145-foot radio antenna constructed behind a school. And cutting down woods for a 600-foot long gravel road is hard to reconcile with anyone’s notion of a “Plan of Conservation.”

    This effort is being rammed through against the will of the majority of voters. The Town Council and the Board of Selectman need to press pause and get answers before this hazardous commercial development on an important piece of town land goes any farther.

  10. Kevin Moynihan, the artful dodger, has a lot of explaining to do. It’s unclear why a cell tower disguised as a tree can’t go up at Irwin Park. From here on in, all necessary and speculative projects that might affect any/all of our schools need to be made public and advertised as such.

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