Norwich planning panel opposes AT&T monopole proposed at 577 West Main Street

The Norwich City Plan Commission voted Aug. 19 to prepare a formal letter opposing AT&T’s proposal to install a 130-foot monopole at 577 West Main Street, the site of the former car wash.

The commission said the tower, proposed as part of AT&T’s effort to improve local wireless coverage, would sit immediately behind a row of homes and would be highly visible along Route 82 at a location the commission is simultaneously seeking to improve with street and landscaping work. Commission members also raised safety concerns about the site’s small footprint and a nearby suspicious fire on the property.

The commission’s discussion, led during the communications portion of the meeting, described months of back-and-forth with AT&T’s design team and attorney. Commissioners said they had recommended municipal properties and alternative placements that might be less visible to nearby residents; AT&T responded that those sites would not meet their technical coverage requirements. The company then performed a balloon test that commission members said was flown for a limited period (about 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) to demonstrate visibility and coverage.

Commission members questioned whether the site’s lease area is large enough to contain a fall zone if the monopole were to collapse. "They said they make it so that it’s going to fall on its own property," one commissioner said during the discussion, but others said the leased portion appears small and could put neighboring homes at risk if the tower failed. Members also criticized the applicant’s plan to surround the tower with chain‑link fencing and said AT&T representatives did not offer landscaping or other visual mitigation measures during presentations to the city council.

Commissioners said residents called about the balloon test and that images in the presentation showed the monopole would be visible from back yards of adjacent houses and along Route 82 even with foliage on trees.

At the meeting, the commission approved a motion directing planning staff to draft a negative comment letter to the Connecticut Siting Council and to share a draft with commission members for review before submission. The motion passed by voice vote.

The planning office said the AT&T submission starts a 90‑day consultation window before a formal application is filed with the state agency; local comments will be forwarded to the Connecticut Siting Council when the application is submitted.

Commissioners who raised specific concerns included Stacy Gould and Sheila Hayes, who asked questions about safety, fall zones and fencing. Deanna (staff member) offered to draft the letter and circulate it to commissioners for edits.

The commission indicated it could also submit the minutes and public comment from the council presentation when the matter goes before the Connecticut Siting Council.

Next steps: planning staff will prepare the draft letter and circulate it to commissioners for approval; the state consultation period will proceed on AT&T’s timeline.