East Lyme — The Connecticut Siting Council has issued a decision in favor of placing a 105-foot "faux silo" cell tower at 2 Arbor Crossing in The Orchards development, rather than at another site on Boston Post Road.

The structure would replace a 150-foot cell tower in The Orchards, whose lease will expire at the end of the year.

American Towers and New Cingular Wireless, or AT&T, submitted in September a revised application to the Siting Council that offered the silo tower as an alternative to a 194-foot tower at 351A Boston Post Road.

AT&T had worked with The Orchards' owners and the homeowners association to develop the silo tower proposal, following objections to the Boston Post Road proposal raised by some neighbors, a lawyer for AT&T said at the Nov. 1 Siting Council hearing on the application.

The silo tower in The Orchards would be a few hundred feet from the location of the existing tower on a parcel that also contains a clubhouse, sports courts and pool, according to the application. A 35-foot-by-50-foot equipment shelter, fashioned as a barn, also would be installed.

In the decision issued on Dec. 22, the Siting Council said the 2 Arbor Crossing site requires "less site work to develop, presents less of a challenge to control stormwater runoff, requires less clearing of mature trees that are favored by tree-roosting bats, provides acceptable wireless service to AT&T, is located on a parcel currently used to support a telecommunications facility, and utilizes a stealth tower application that would have less of a visual impact on the surrounding area and fits in with the theme of the past agricultural use of The Orchards development."

While the cost of the silo tower is "considerably more" than the Boston Post Road site, AT&T has shown "it is willing to build the structure by designing the facility with direct input from the landowner to replace the existing facility and by signing a long-term lease," the decision noted.

First Selectman Mark Nickerson said Friday that the decision is a "win-win" and applauded it as a great example of people coming together to find a solution.

“AT&T is continually working to offer great service and coverage to our loyal customers in Connecticut," Karen Twomey, a spokeswoman for AT&T, said in a written statement on Tuesday. "We are excited to continue to collaborate with the community on this project, we are pleased to have their support.”

Construction of the new silo tower will be phased in along with the demolition of the existing structure, according to AT&T.

A lawyer for The Orchards developer did not have any comments on the decision.

Meanwhile, litigation brought against the Mohegan Tribe by the owner of land on Ancient Highway, a site once considered for the replacement cell tower, is ongoing.

AT&T previously had considered the Ancient Highway site, but decided against it after the Mohegan Tribal Historic Preservation Office said a cell tower there would impact ceremonial stone groupings on adjacent land.

A Superior Court judge dismissed in March a case filed by property owner John Drabik that sought a deposition of members of the Mohegan Tribal Historic Preservation Office.

Drabik appealed the decision to the state Appellate Court and filed a concurrent action in Mohegan Tribal Court. Eric Garofano, an attorney representing Drabik, said Friday that they are awaiting a decision from the judge in Mohegan Tribal Court on the tribe's motion to strike the case.

The Mohegan Tribe was not available for comment.  

k.drelich@theday.com