Maple Hill Cell Tower – 12/9/2010

Posted by Bob on December 9, 2010 under Daily Blogs | Be the First to Comment

Our office has received communication from residents concerning the installation of a cellular tower at Maple Hill Elementary School.  We have been coordinating with Maple Hill Parent Teacher Organization President Diane Parzyck for a meeting to discuss the cell tower matter.  Tentatively the forum has been scheduled for Monday, December 13, 2010, 6:30 PM at Maple Hill.  We are aware of the concerns and would like to address any questions.  I believe Ms. Parzyck will be communicating with parents to confirm.

I have never heard of concerns raised over possible, negative health implications from cell towers.  There was no discussion regarding such concerns when the matter was discussed by members of the Board of Mayor and Burgesses (“BMB”).  We were presented with a proposal for a lease agreement at multiple locations.  Burgesses voted unanimously (Burgess Campbell was absent) to authorize execution of the lease agreements at a Special Meeting of the BMB on February 22, 2010 ( http://www.naugatuck-ct.gov/Documents/Borough_board/ms022210.pdf ).  From my understanding, this was prior to land use involvement.  There has been no action taken by the BMB since said time except for my execution of the agreements based on BMB authorization and advice from counsel.  During the special permit process with land use boards, issues regarding safety were apparently raised and discussed with engineers.

Involvement by Board of Education (“BoE”) members in this process was limited.  The majority of BoE members had no knowledge of the proposed cell tower.  The schools are owned by the municipality, and the BMB authorized the lease arrangement. While there apparently was knowledge and review by staff and the chair of the facilities committee, there was no action taken by the BoE and no conversation regarding potential safety issues at any regular meetings.

Certainly no one was attempting to put the safety of children at risk for financial gain.  It is our job and the job of the BMB to analyze revenue opportunities in the best interest of taxpayers and that is all that was done here.  Other locations were considered in addition to Maple Hill, and other cell towers currently exist in Naugatuck.

Research on the internet yields numerous comments on the topic, but most valid, scientific analysis I have read states that there is no scientific proof that transmissions from cell towers cause any negative impact to human health.  My son Jay is also a student at Maple Hill, and I do not have any concerns over his short-term or long-term health based on the proposed usage of the cell tower at the school.

That being said, we can revisit this issue and gather more information.  The subject matter is very scientific in nature and can be explored in greater detail.  Our office, through our attorney, have been in communication with the cellular company.  There are no immediate plans to install the tower as apparently the company missed its internal funding deadline due to the time required during the land use process and would not be funding until the Fall of 2011.  This will allow us enough time to investigate and negotiate any solutions that could accommodate concerns.  Communication with the company has been good throughout and we expect that to continue.

Some residents have emailed our office and we welcome  additional questions, comments or concerns.  Please send the same to bmezzo@naugatuck-ct.gov or bob@bobmezzo.com, or contact our office at 203-720-7009.