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PURA approves Crown Castle small-cell installation in Bridgeport over adjacent owner's objection
Summary
PURA approved Crown Castle Fiber LLC's construction plan to install a small-cell wireless facility near 876 Sylvan Avenue, Bridgeport. Staff noted an objection from the property owner citing aesthetic, health and community engagement concerns but found Crown Castle met applicable requirements.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority approved a construction plan from Crown Castle Fiber LLC to install a small-cell wireless facility on a utility pole adjacent to 876 Sylvan Avenue in Bridgeport, authority staff reported at the March 18 special meeting.
Elizabeth Tanaka, authority staff attorney, summarized the record and said Crown Castle identified a need for additional capacity and coverage near Sylvan Avenue and proposed the installation to fill that gap. Tanaka told commissioners the property owner, identified in the record as Ms. Barraza, opposed the project and raised aesthetic and health concerns and concerns about lack of community engagement.
Tanaka said PURA conducted discovery and a hearing on the objections, and that Crown Castle demonstrated compliance with prior PURA decisions and applicable state and federal law. On that basis, staff recommended approval of the construction plan "subject to the orders issued in this decision," Tanaka said.
A commissioner moved to adopt staff's decision and the panel voted to approve the application. During discussion the chair thanked staff and reiterated that the authority's statutory purview is limited to the factors the legislature has provided.
The decision approves the proposed small-cell installation at the Bridgeport location while noting and recording the adjacent property owner's objections; the approval is conditioned by the orders in the authority's decision.
