The AT&T cell tower resistance continues...

Stoddard now dealing with lawsuit

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Posted: Sunday, October 2, 2011 9:00 am | Updated: 8:26 am, Sun Oct 2, 2011.

By Sarah Trefethen Sentinel Staff | 4 comments

STODDARD — With a federal lawsuit hanging over its head, the town’s zoning board is poised to resume operation after a spate of resignations that left it out of commission back in July.

That likely means once again taking up a proposal to construct a cellphone tower on Melville Hill, with a board that features three new

Stoddard ZBA votes for re-hearing of AT&T Cell Tower Decision & then several members resign!

Strange happenings in Stoddard, NH these days.

Last week, on Thursday, July 21, the Stoddard Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) voted 5-0 for a re-hearing of the AT&T cell tower request, which had been approved 3-2 on May 25. (See minutes of this meeting here --they're very strange....)

Then, on Friday, it was learned that all three ZBA members who had voted in AT&T's favor (chairman Bev Power along with Maureen Meyer, and Richard Betz) had submitted their resignations to the Selectmen of Stoddard, leaving only Fred and Ruth Ward, who voted against AT&T's request for a cell tower on Melville Hill, which stands high over the pristine lake community of Granite Lake.

Yesterday it was discovered that not only had Power, Meyer, and Betz resigned, but the three alternate ZBA members as well. Which makes some of us wonder what's going on....

Granite Lake Residents Appeal AT&T Decision by Stoddard Zoning Board & Consider Lawsuit Against Chair

A number of appeals have been filed by Stoddard residents contesting the Stoddard Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) decision to grant AT&T a Special Exception to construct a cell tower on Melville Hill, overlooking Granite Lake and the village of Munsonville, NH.  A group of Stoddard residents are also considering a lawsuit against the ZBA Chair. 

Citing bias and conflict of interest on the part of ZBA Chair Beverly Power, an owner of Pitcher Mountain Realty in Stoddard, as well as other concerns, the residents' appeals have resulted in a special meeting being called by the ZBA on Thursday, July 21 at 7 p.m. in the Stoddard Town Hall to consider undertaking a rehearing of the cell tower case. This meeting is open to the public, although they will not be allowed to speak.

Despite the protests, Stoddard ZBA approves AT&T Cell Tower on Melville Hill in 3-2 vote

After seven months the verdict is in: Stoddard's Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) voted on May 25 to grant AT&T a Special Exception to build a cell tower on Melville Hill.

To say it's a disappointment is a major understatement. In fact, it's taken some time even to write about what happened.

For the last seven months we've sat through a long series of hearings to determine whether AT&T should be granted a Special Exception in a Rural Area to build the proposed cell tower. As word got out, area protests grew in size and strength and outrage, as the cell tower would loom over Granite Lake, one of the jewels of the Monadnock region. The townships of both Stoddard and Nelson were affected as well not only by the visual desecration of the landscape but by the property devaluations that would follow and the summer rental businesses that would be hurt.

Stoddard ZBA to vote on AT&T's proposed cell tower May 25

After a series of postponements, the Stoddard Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) will meet on May 25 at 7:15 p.m. to vote on AT&T's request for a Special Exception to build a cell tower on Melville Hill overlooking Granite Lake.

The meeting is open to the public.

Those who wish to communicate their views regarding the cell tower should write Pat Putnam, ZBA secretary, at: stoddardtreasurer@yahoo.com. She will distribute your comments to the ZBA.

Protests Continue Against AT&T's Proposed Cell Tower in Stoddard, NH

In addition to letters and petitions from concerned residents of the townships of Nelson and Stoddard, weighing in again recently against the proposed AT&T cell tower on top of Melville Hill, which would loom over Granite Lake and the nearly 15,000-acre Andorra Forest which adjoins Melville Hill, was Geoffrey Jones, head of the Stoddard Conservation Commission.

While Jones has spoken publicly before the Stoddard Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) on numerous occasions during the last six months of hearings, he recently sent a letter and documents to Stephen Delsordo of the Federal Communications Commission's Office of Historic Preservation, which is considering a petition regarding the historic aspects of the region:

A Series of Videos about Our Community vs. AT&T

Granite Lake resident John Cucchi has put together a series of videos that tell the story of our community's  history and beauty and why we feel AT&T needs to locate its cell tower somewhere else (we've found multiple other sites in the last six months):

1. In the first video we see Granite Lake as it was in the past along with pictures of one of its most famous residents, Dr. Charles Eastman, Native American physician and co-founder of the Boy Scouts of America. It's titled "Twin Mountain History."

Dakota Sioux Indians Travel from SD and WI to Protest AT&T Proposed Cell Tower in Stoddard, NH

Traveling 19 hours from South Dakota last week was Santee Dakota Sioux tribal elder Emmett Eastman, great nephew of renowned Native American Dr. Charles Eastman, who came to speak before the Stoddard Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) in protest against AT&T's proposed cell tower atop Stoddard's Melville Hill, overlooking Granite Lake.

Dr. Eastman once lived in the oldest, most historic home on Granite Lake and ran a camp for girls, Camp Oahe, which means "Hill of Vision." He owned the hill known today as Melville Hill and his daughter Irene, who died in the influenza epidemic of 1918, is buried there. This is the site AT&T wishes to build a cell tower.

Co-founder of the Boy Scouts and Campfire Girls of America, Dr. Eastman was a prolific writer and spoke internationally on Native American issues. Emmett Eastman traveled to ask the Stoddard ZBA to "respect the land...if you can find an alternative sight, my people would very much appreciate that."

AT&T's Second Balloon Test: The Same as the First!

On March 4, between the hours of 8 a.m. and noon, AT&T conducted a second balloon test on Melville Hill that was, according to them, on a different, lower part of landowner Nicholas J.Healy's property and going to hide the proposed cell tower from being silhouetted against the sky high above Granite Lake.

This, however, did not happen. We were shocked to see that balloon test one (taken November 21, 2010) and balloon test two were almost identical. Here they are:

Mmmm...we're puzzled. How does this help anything?!

The next cell tower hearing is scheduled for April 19. This has been going on now for six months...

Minutes of the Stoddard Board of Adjustment 2/25/11 re AT&T Proposed Cell Tower

Members Attending: Beverly Power, Fred Ward, Ruth Ward and Richard Betz.  Excused was Maureen Meyer.

Correspondence:  Various and numerous emails concerning AT&T Cell Tower Application....

New Business: Beverly Power went over some of the legal advice that Sam Bradley emailed to her and the members.  The board had a lengthy discussion on the contents of that confidential letter. 

Fred Ward asked if the Balloon Test, scheduled for March 4 - 5 or 6, 2011, depending on weather conditions could be cancelled.  Beverly Power said the balloon test has been posted and published and will be held.  Fred Ward felt the balloon test was premature. 

Keene Sentinel: Cell Tower Getting Cool Reception

Stoddard floats plan for more, smaller facilities

By Sarah Trefethen
Sentinel Staff

Published: Tuesday, February 22, 2011

STODDARD — The debate between residents and AT&T over how to deliver cell phone service to this hilly collection of hamlets rages on.

The town’s zoning board is considering an application from the wireless company to bring a single 150-foot cell tower to the top of Melville Hill, overlooking Granite Lake.

The board wants the company to consider using multiple smaller towers instead, but so far the company has not considered such a proposal.

To the Stoddard ZBA from Richard Nicoletti re the Feb.15 Hearing on AT&T's Proposed Cell Tower

Re: Alice: "It would be so nice if something made sense for a change." Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, for this and other "Alice" quotes in this email.

Dear Members of the ZBA,

Everybody who has attended any of the public meetings you have had regarding ATT's petition knows how diligently you have struggled to connect the seemingly contradictory words about ATT's "targeted coverage area" coming from both the written words of its original petition and from the spoken words of its professionals.  [Alice: "I think I should understand that better, if I had written that down: but I can't quite follow it as you say it."]

Stoddard Conservation Commission Recommendation re AT&T's Proposal to Build a Cell Tower on Melville Hill

The Stoddard Conservation Commission recommends that the preferred site of Melville Hill be denied in favor of sites that offer the citizens of Stoddard better coverage and that is less destructive to the conservation and aesthetic values of the town…and has a more favorable cost to benefit ratio.

Geoffrey Jones
Chairman, Stoddard Conservation Commission

AT&T Rejects Stoddard ZBA's Efforts to Find Alternate Cell Tower Sites

The Stoddard Zoning Board of  Adjustment (ZBA) hearings regarding AT&T's proposal to build a cell phone tower on top of Melville Hill, overlooking Granite Lake, NH, continued on Tuesday, February 15 at 7 p.m.

ZBA secretary Patricia Putnam's notes on the hearing can be found here.

Margaret Schillemat, a town of  Nelson Selectman, was present and her letter from the Nelson Board of Selectmen opposing the AT&T proposed cell tower site on Melville Hill, was noted. (See her letter in the last post.)

The Granite lake area is unique in that it includes both the towns of Stoddard and Nelson. Nelson residents on the south side of Granite Lake currently pay a considerable "view tax" for looking directly at the lake and the

Nelson Board of Selectmen Oppose Proposed AT&T Cell Tower over Granite Lake

This letter was sent to the Stoddard Zoning Board of Adjustment regarding AT&T's proposed cell tower on Melville Hill, which would loom over Granite Lake: 


Dear Chairperson Power,

     I am writing as a member of the Nelson Board of Selectmen who have passed a resolution supporting my statement herein. I understand the Nelson Conservation Commission will be similarly writing you.
     Granite Lake is a most valuable resource for both Nelson and Stoddard. We feel the above proposal would be especially harmful to the lake, both ecologically and aesthetically. Moreover, we worry it could

Looking for Alternative Cell Tower Sites

After the December 15 ZBA hearing, during which alternative sites to Melville Hill were discussed for the first time, we prepared ourselves for the next hearing on January 5 by trying to find independent Radio Frequency (RF) consultants who could help us locate other potential sites. By law, AT&T would have to pay for this consultant.

Sensitive to the concerns of Granite Lake residents, some of the ZBA members were also trying to find alternate sites.

Letter to Stoddard ZBA re AT&T's Proposed Cell Tower

At the December 15 meeting of the Stoddard Zoning Board of Adjustment  (ZBA), the following letter was presented and signed by 53 concerned local residents:

Dear Members of the Stoddard Zoning Board of Adjustment:

          As residents of the Town of Stoddard and Nelson who reside both in and outside of the Granite Lake Village District[1], we the undersigned respectfully ask that you do not approve the application of AT&T for

The Real Cell Tower Situation: What We Discovered

On November 10 a small group of us, mostly abutters to the land on which AT&T proposed to build the cell tower, arrived at the first Stoddard Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) hearing. None of us had any idea of the constraints already put on the ZBA, nor did we know what we were all up against.

After the two AT&T reps and lawyer discussed their proposal, many of us raised concerns about various issues: