A well-supported argument won the day

Check one in the “win” column for the little guy. While over the years there have been many objections made to cell towers proposed for different locations in the scenic northwest hills, those objections have not often resulted in a change in plans for the phone company looking to erect the tower.As a result of a decision that came down late last month from the Connecticut Siting Council, however, there has had to be a change in plans for AT&T, which was hoping to build a cell tower on Cobble Hill in little Falls Village. Council members voted to reject AT&T’s proposal because of the scenic quality of the land, saying also that there were no “public safety concerns” that would dictate the facility need be built on Cobble Hill.Just because the area is scenic and not critical to public safety does not mean the rejection was a given, though. It took many hours of preparation of supporting documentation on the part of town volunteers, including Inland Wetlands Commission Chairman Ellery Sinclair and Attorney Gabriel Seymour, to persuade the Siting Council to deny the request of AT&T. The small group did their work quietly and well.Some might think that possible health hazards could have helped the argument of Falls Village against the proposed tower, but they would be wrong. Since there is not yet any government-accepted proof of a connection between public health and cell towers, any reasons to stop the construction of the tower on Cobble Hill had to be based on other criteria. It was the beauty and undisturbed character of the location that convinced the council it should not be subject to the insertion of a 150-foot cell tower.Congratulations to Falls Village residents for persevering and winning in their challenge on the location of the tower. It is important that communication in the Tri-state area be facilitated. That should not, however, be at the expense of the very reason many of us who live here, whether part or full time, would give as explanation for that choice: the region’s natural beauty and relatively untamed environment.