I am writing in response to the article, “East Lyme residents learn about cell tower proposals,” (April 23). Aside from issues of environmental impact to adjacent wetlands or questions about access via privately owned Ancient Highway, there are very significant financial consequences for relocating the existing tower from The Orchard neighborhood.

Relocation will result in windfall property value gains for Orchard’s residents who elected to build next to the existing tower, at the expense of more than three dozen Ancient Highway neighborhood residents within 1,000 feet of the proposed tower, whose property values will be decimated by a tower rising three times the height of existing tress, dominating the landscape of our back or, in some cases, front yards. Internet estimates place property value decreases from such towers at 10 percent to 40 percent, so the total cost to Ancient Highway residents may approach $1 million, all for the gain of AT&T and the leasing land owner who does not live in the neighborhood.

It is appalling that East Lyme officials who we elected have thus far been unwilling to oppose AT&T on this, to at least force consideration of alternative sites which may be less desirable for AT&T, but more remote and less damaging to surrounding neighborhoods.

Dr. Richard England

East Lyme