Selectmen Halt Installations—

Residents Have Little Time To Object To VRAD Installations

By John Voket

The VRAD clock is ticking.

Newtown residents only have until October 29, 30 days from the date of a recent Department of Public Utility Control decision on the siting of video ready access device or VRAD terminals, to question or object to their installation locations. In related news, the Board of Selectmen this week unanimously voted to dispatch a letter to AT&T, the company responsible for the refrigerator-sized boxes, halting all future installations until granted written approval for the sitings by the town.

During the meeting, it was noted that one of the most high profile boxes, located across from the Middle School on Queen Street, was installed in violation of municipal Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. Town Engineer Ron Bolmer said after consulting the guidelines and surveying the terminal, which distributes telephone, television, and high speed Internet service to adjacent customers, it was determined that it extended 1.5 inches beyond what is permitted by ADA standards.

Both Republican Selectman Paul Mangiafico and Democratic Selectman Herb Rosenthal have pointed to this location as the prime example of why the town should have ultimate oversight on the VRAD installations, and be apprised of proposed locations for consideration before the terminals are either pad or pole mounted.

Besides the Queen Street location, AT&T has already installed boxes on Nunnawauk Road, Sugar Street, Elm Drive, two locations on South Main Street, on Key Rock Road, and Eden Hill Road. Proposed future installations have also been targeted for Church Hill Road, Dickenson Drive, Currituck Road, and Meadow Brook Road.

Residents interested in the exact locations of the existing boxes, or proposed sites, should contact the first selectman’s office at 270-4201.

According to a release from the DPUC following its September 28 final decision on the issue: “The Department will entertain requests from adjoining property owners objecting to existing VRAD cabinets or those about to be placed by AT&T. 

“In those cases, objecting property owners, after unsuccessfully negotiating with AT&T, will be permitted to present evidence and offer argument as to why the project should not go forward as proposed or why the existing VRAD cabinet should be removed,” the DPUC statement continues. “The Department expects to intervene on these matters only as a last resort after all other options have been exhausted and when all reasonable attempts to secure the property owner’s consent have failed.”

State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who has been closely following developments, concurred with the DPUC decision and called for residents in proximity to existing sites to act in time if they wish to question or oppose the installation.

“The only omission in the DPUC decision is that no notice to property owners is required for previous placements, which makes consumer education and awareness all the more urgent,” Mr Blumenthal said. “Consumers have 30 days to object, so time is important. Municipalities should act promptly as well if they have public safety concerns.”

The telecommunications company made headlines again this week saying it is closing its dispatch and repair center in Meriden as part of a company realignment and moving the jobs to Michigan. AT&T spokesman Dave Mancuso said Wednesday that the company is offering affected workers other employment within the company, including the jobs being moved to Southfield, Mich.

AT&T declined to say how many workers will be affected. The Communications Workers of America labor union says 60 jobs are being eliminated. Governor M. Jodi Rell on October 8 ordered state regulators to review AT&T’s closure plans as part of its pending review of the company’s customer service quality.

Mr Blumenthal also opposed the closure, saying it would remove all remaining residential customer service dispatch jobs in Connecticut.