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Residents press selectmen to challenge Homeland Towers site after contested balloon test
Summary
Residents urged the Brookfield Board of Selectmen to oppose a proposed Homeland Towers cell site, citing a flawed balloon test, health and wildlife concerns, and possible property-value losses; selectmen said they will request documentation from the company and continue to advocate but lack authority over the state siting council.
Residents filled the public-comment period of the Brookfield Board of Selectmen meeting to oppose a proposed Homeland Towers cell tower, saying a recent balloon test was flawed and urging the board to press the company and state regulators for answers.
"There was nothing out to us except for like a day before about the balloon test," said a Mirwood Court resident, describing limited notice. Pam Hughes of Mirwood Court said the balloon test was "totally visible and totally disturbing" from her driveway and raised health concerns she said have been discussed by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal. Several speakers said a petition opposing the tower had more than 200 signatures.
Residents questioned the balloon test's methods and results, saying it was tangled in tree branches during the test and that observers saw different heights at different times. "When I went over and looked at it at 11, Bob, you went and saw it, right?" one resident said, arguing the test was "a flawed test" and asking the town to demand the test data, the rope length and timing from Homeland Towers.
Selectmen replied that the town posted notices on its website and social media but that Homeland Towers is legally required to notify only nearby abutters in certain circumstances. The board said it had not received substantive information from the company about the balloon test and would request documentation and timelines, while noting that ultimate authority over siting decisions rests with the state siting council created by the legislature.
The public commenters raised additional concerns about wildlife impacts — including potential raptor nests — property-value declines (several speakers cited unverified reports that values might fall by as much as 20%), and possible health risks associated with cell towers. A number of speakers recommended alternative technologies such as microcells for local coverage rather than a full tower.
The board said it would continue to advocate for residents and will share any information it receives from Homeland Towers with the public; it also encouraged residents to monitor the town website and social media for updates. No formal action or vote on the tower was taken during the meeting.
The town's next procedural step, as described by selectmen at the meeting, is to ask Homeland Towers for complete balloon-test documentation and to wait for any filing to the state siting council, which the town said it learns of only when it is formally filed.
