Town Meeting Approves Grant, Cell Tower Leases

A small town meeting held at approved a $250,000 grant for road repair, new lease terms for three mobile phone towers and the addition of three town roads Tuesday night.

The extended lease on the towers at the Suffield Water Pollution Control Authority plant, Ffyler Place and the town landfill may receive "approximately $2 million in additional revenue" and $150,000 up front for the town, according to a summary provided at the meeting.

The town leases the three mobile phone towers to Crown Atlantic Company, with the current agreement going through 2020. The new lease, which includes an increase in the town's share of the revenue percentage from 25 percent to 35 percent effective immediately, will continue the agreement through 2040. It will be executed as four five-year terms.

Harvey Lane, which services the Hood ice cream plant and C&S Wholesale grocers, will be upgraded from its current poor state thanks to a $250,000 small town economic assistance program (STEAP) grant from the state government. The town will pay $25,400 from its pavement management fund, which holds $850,000 in the coming budget year.

A group of roads at the Stony Brook II subdivision were brought under town control. Wisteria Lane, Hydrangea Lane, Tyler Lane and Andrew Lane will now be administered by the town.