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But a plan to put a new cellphone tower on that land sparked a debate at a special meeting Monday morning of the Board of Selectmen.
The selectmen met with said Benjamin Oko, chairman of the Conservation Commission, to discuss the purchase of the property and to ask whether a small part of the property could be parceled off for a possible tower site.
Hurricane Sandy brought to light the need for a cell tower in that area, Selectman Andrew Bodner said. “There are not a lot of good positions for a cell tower,” and the Ledges Road area is a good one, he said.
Board members asked Oko whether a contingency could be added to the agreement to give the town the option of purchasing part of the property for a cell tower at a later date.
“We’re getting a lot of requests now from people, that are saying that this is crazy,” First Selectman Rudy Marconi said of the cellphone coverage issue.
However, the land is being purchased by the Conservation Commission, which means it can't be used for commercial purposes, including a cell tower.
It would cost the commission about $25,000 to put in the caveat, Oko said, because many of the neighbors of the prospective open space have pledged money with the condition that no cell tower be put into the space.
“We’re also not saying we’re going to do it,” Selectman Maureen Kozlark said. “Its really just looking into the future that perhaps we will need it.”
The commission will decide Monday night at its regular meeting whether to add in the caveat, so that it can be included in the notice for the public hearing. A public hearing regarding the pending purchase is set for Nov. 28 and a special town meeting for Dec. 12.
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