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The undersigned residents of the Codfish Hill community, Bethel, CT are opposed to the new AT&T Wireless cell tower facility near 64 Codfish Hill Rd., Bethel, CT. AT&T is requesting to one of two proposed towers in our close, family neighborhood.  Our opposition is based upon the following concerns: 
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1) Need: The statements of cellular data and connectivity in the area are false. Members of our community and our town at lager reject the statement that this tower is a connectivity necessity.  It is not.  We have more than adequate voice and data connections throughout this part of the region.  This tower DOES NOT fulfill a local, immediate or even long term connection need. The proposed tower is obviously a case of connectivity gluttony and a wireless "nice to have" for AT&T as it solves key transmission problems for them THROUGH our rural community, not TO our community.This is not OK.

2) Real Estate Values: Although the Telecommunications Act of 1996 doesn't allow a municipality to prohibit the location of cell towers based on adverse health effects, people's fears about the presence of electromagnetic signals will drive down home values. Research shows home values drop 20% on average in cell antenna and tower areas.

3) Health of our children: We have a number of households of children living in the immediate vicinity. Studies by the World Health Organization of children exposed to high radiation from cell antenna installations have shown serious health hazards, including appreciable increases in rates of asthma, autism, ADHD, and a number of other ailments. We do not welcome additional environmental EMF / electrosmog insults on our short-term and long-term health of our children. Several nearby tower construction projects have been shut down, siting proximity to schools, and children as a primary concern. This fact alone (upheld by AT&T) supports the WHO findings.

4) Rurality: The Bethel, CT community is a beautiful small family neighborhood, and installation of the proposed new cell antenna tower will drastically change the aesthetics. We have an incredible, rolling skyline of hills, mountainous spaces and trees. A 170 or even a 150 foot tower on Codfish Hill will be seen (by AT&T and North Atlantic Tower's own admission) from around the town. It would become a prominent 'touchstone" and fixture of our rural skyline. It would not blend in. The current design is NOT aesthetically relevant nor in keeping with the age of homes and structures in the area. No attempts to make them aesthetically relevant have been made.

5) Public safety: Placing a cellular antenna tower and equipment within close to single-family homes poses a public safety hazard including the possibility of fire from toxic chemicals contained in the back-up systems used in such towers. Further, we often observe trees and branches falling in high winds that blow through this neighborhood. If any trees fall on the AT&T cell antenna electric equipment, fire and other catastrophic events can easily occur and severely damage the close-packed houses.

6) Noise pollution and local disturbance: Cell antenna towers require maintenance that may be performed at any time of day or night. We will see a number AT&T service personnel and trucks on Codfish Hill that will be an additional unnecessary public nuisance.

7) Lack of good faith and good will: We believe notice of impending change due to this proposed cell antenna installation and its affects has been inadequate to sufficiently alert, educate and inform my community. 

8) We believe appropriate time and measures have NOT been taken to 1. Investigate the property's historical significance. 2. Investigate the property's archeological significance, 3. Thoroughly investigate the environmental impact to the precious land of our beloved area. 

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We request Claudia Stone, AT&T, The Connecticut Siting Council, and The Town of Bethel, CT consider all above factors and immediately halt planned installation of a cell tower antenna on 64 Codfish Hill Rd, Bethel, CT.  A family neighbohood. 

 

Randall Stephenson, AT&T CEO
phone: 210-351-5401 (direct to his secretary)
rs2982@att.com (direct)
randall.stephenson@att.com

First Selectman: Matt Knickerbocker 
Phone: (203) 794-8501
knickerbockerm@bethel-ct.gov

Melanie A. Bachman
CT Siting Council
(860) 827-2951 
melanie.bachman@ct.gov