Petition No. 743
New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC
590 Clintonville Road
North Haven, Connecticut
Staff Report
December 14, 2005

On October 31, 2005, New Cingular Wireless PCS LLC (Cingular) submitted a petition to the Connecticut Siting Council (Council) for a declaratory ruling that no Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need is required for the modification of an electric transmission structure located off Route 22 in the Town of North Haven. On November 15, 2005, Council member Gerald J. Heffernan and Council staff member Robert Mercier met Cingular representatives Christopher Fisher and Doug Drost at the proposed site to review this petition. In addition, Karl Kilduff, Town Manager of the Town of North Branford, was present. No representative from the Town of North Haven was present.

Cingular, with the agreement of CL&P, proposes to redesign and replace CL&P transmission tower #4719, a 65-foot wood H-frame structure, to allow for the installation of telecommunications equipment. Cingular would replace the existing structure with a new H-frame structure consisting of a 65-foot inner pole and a 100-foot outer pole connected by diagonal and horizontal crossbeams. The outer pole would support six panel antennas on t-arms mounted at the 100-foot level. The total height of the structure with antennas would be 103 feet above ground level. Cingular could design the structure to support an additional carrier at the 90-foot level.

Cingular proposes to install a 12-foot by 20-foot equipment shelter within a 23-foot by 38-foot fenced compound adjacent to the 100-foot pole. The six-foot high compound fence would include privacy slats. An existing dirt road extending from Route 22 would access the site.

The structure is associated with a 115-kV transmission line and is located in a 320-foot wide right-of-way. The right-of-way also contains a 345-kV transmission line and associated H-frame structures. The site is approximately 100 feet south of Route 22. The North Haven-North Branford town line is approximately 230 feet to the east.

The nearest residence is approximately 180 feet southwest of the site in the Hansen Farm neighborhood. Residences in this area currently have views of the existing transmission lines and associated H-frame towers. A band of deciduous and evergreen vegetation provides screening of the compound from the nearest residence.