Board of Selectmen

‘This Is Ridiculous’: Divided Board of Selectmen Postpones West School Cell Tower Discussion to September

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New Canaan’s highest elected official on Tuesday was outvoted by two fellow members of the Board of Selectmen on the timing of when the town should formally take up a divisive proposal to install a cell phone tower behind West School. Echoing the cell tower developer who addressed the Board last month, First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said during Tuesday’s regular meeting that it was important to move forward now with decisions regarding the proposed 125-foot “monopine” tower. Despite concerns raised by parents and neighbors in June, Moynihan included this item on the selectmen’s agenda for its July 12 meeting: “West Cell Tower – Discussion regarding draft lease between Homeland Towers and the Town of New Canaan regarding a proposed telecommunications facility at 769 Ponus Ridge Road.”

Selectman Nick Williams pushed back, saying it made more sense to discuss whether or not to pursue a cell tower at West School at all than to delve into the details of a proposed lease. Williams said the selectmen should wait until after Labor Day, when families return from summer break, to have that larger discussion. 

“We’re talking about whether we put a cellphone tower up at West School or not. We don’t need to talk about the lease until we come to that decision,” Williams said at the meeting, held in Town Hall and via videoconference. 

“I would say we should wait until at least after Labor Day, so that we can have a fulsome discussion when people are not in Nantucket or Maine or Vermont or whatever.