Letter To The Editor – The Pit And The Tower

To The Editor:
This is in response to the proposal for a zoning variance that would allow for the construction of a colossal cell tower in the middle of the tiny village of Cherry Plain.
The Berlin zoning and land use regulations protect the quality of life for everyone in the area and should not be breached for reasons that are not critical to the health and safety of its residents. In many parts of Cherry Plain and Berlin cell phone access is already available. Soon access will be readily available for everyone who needs it due to the many cell towers being built in the area. We do not need an unsightly cell tower in the middle of a tiny, narrow rural village.
In addition to the negative impact this cell tower would have – with its chain link fence, barbed wire and search lights – we are still reeling from the impact of a gravel pit in the center of this village. The operation of the gravel pit, which went on for years despite efforts of the DEP to close it down, has negatively impacted village life and destroyed the beauty of the village. Certainly, just thinking in terms of economics, the gravel pit and the cell tower will depress property values.
Who really wants to live next to a gravel pit or a cell tower?
Judith Waterman
Cherry Plain