Conn. legislature adjourned for year without passing any of 15 bi...
Conn. legislature adjourned for year without passing any of 15 bills that were intended to return to municipalities some degree of authority over siting of mobile phone communications towers. Bills were introduced to address Dec. ruling by U.S. Dist.…
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Court, New Haven, that jurisdiction over tower siting rested not with local land use boards but with obscure state body called Conn. Siting Council. Court’s ruling was based on provisions of Conn. state law, leaving open possibility that legislature could change law and restore tower siting jurisdiction to municipalities. Bills ranged in scope from abolishing state body, making it purely advisory agency, making it responsible only for master-level planning, requiring local ratification of state body’s decisions and variations on those themes, all intended to give local govts. some say in cellphone tower siting decisions. Bills failed to pass despite lobbying efforts by cities and towns that believed tower siting should be purely local decision. Conn. Attorney Gen. Richard Blumenthal said he was disappointed that legislature didn’t act on tower siting issue and vowed to press appeal that’s pending in 2nd U.S. Appeals Court, N.Y. Hearing hasn’t yet been scheduled. Supporters of local control said bills didn’t succeed this year because some lawmakers wanted to wait for outcome of appeal, and bills got caught in jurisdictional squabbles between chambers’ committees responsible for utilities matters and those addressing land development issues. Some towns said they would go forward with cellphone tower site hearings and send their opinions to Siting Council.