Petition No. 701

Nextel Communications

Canaan, Connecticut

Staff Report

January 24, 2005

Nextel is seeking to add a 19-foot extension mast onto an existing 85-foot tall CL&P transmission tower in order to install six antennas; three with a centerline of 95 feet and three with a centerline of 101 feet. The tower is located approximately 40 feet east of Beebe Hill Road in the Falls Village area of Canaan. Nextel would also install a 12-foot by 20-foot equipment shelter for its ground equipment adjacent to the tower structure. A new gravel drive would be installed to access the equipment shelter. Power for Nextel’s equipment would come from a utility pole on Beebe Hill Road directly in front of the transmission tower.

Council member Colin Tait and staff person David Martin met with Nextel representative Tom Flynn at the proposed site on December 29, 2004. The area surrounding the tower is characterized by scattered single family residences. The closest homes are approximately 200 feet across Beebe Hill Road to the north and approximately 300 feet to the southeast. Nextel did offer to provide screening vegetation for the nearest home to the southeast. The home to the north would be shielded from a view of Nextel’s equipment compound by existing vegetation. Mr. Tait also suggested Nextel bring in its access drive at more of an angle from Beebe Hill Road to hide more of the ground equipment. Nextel agreed to this suggestion.

From this location, Nextel could provide coverage for Route 7, one of western Connecticut’s most heavily traveled corridors. This site would connect with Nextel antennas on Canaan Mountain and would reach southward toward a site in northern Sharon.

Council staff believes that the nature and scope of the proposed modifications to this transmission tower should have no significant adverse environmental impacts.