Balloon test: Chief says tower is ‘life or death’
A red-orange balloon was raised 110 feet in the air on April 7, the height of a new proposed cell tower that is expected to improve cell coverage in the northwest corner of town.
The latex balloon, nearly four feet in diameter, was raised at 1837 Ponus Ridge by All Point Technology to show the visibility of the tower that is being designed to resemble a tree.
The weather “cooperated” for the helium balloon test that took place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to Raymond Vergati, regional manager for Homeland Towers, LLC.
Homeland Towers provides wireless infrastructure solutions for municipalities and is New Canaan’s chosen partner in expanding and improving cellular phone coverage, according to First Selectman Kevin Moynihan.
The Police Chief Leon Krolikowski said that he is relieved that public safety antennas for New Canaan Police Department, Fire Department and EMS will co-locate with cell phone carriers on the tower.
The New Canaan Police
Department fields 5,000 911 calls each year, the chief said.
“The lack of cellular service and dropped calls
are no longer a nuisance, they are a liability,” the chief said. “For many years, the northwest area of town has had poor or
nonexistent wireless coverage.”
At a time when “many residents rely solely on cell phones and have done
away with traditional landline service,” cell phone coverage “could be the difference between life and death,” Krolikowski said.
Many of the calls “involved emergency situations that put both members of our department and the public at risk,” the chief added.
Moynihan cited a statistic that 70 percent of 911 calls made nationwide come from cell phones.
AT&T Wireless will join the town in seeking approval from the Connecticut Siting Council, which has the final decision as to whether the cell tower can be built.
The proposed public tower will be constructed on a level area atop the hill, which is north of Dan’s Highway on the east side of Ponus Ridge and just opposite the Laurel Reservoir.
It will ”greatly improve mobile phone service for both New Canaan residents and north Stamford residents in the area,” a release from the town said.
In September 2020, the siting council approved an 85-foot tall monopole on residential property owned by Keith Rickey at 183 Soundview Lane. The proposed tower aims to help bring service to the northeast corner of town.