To: New Garden Township Board of Supervisors, Township Manager

Concerned Citizens of Landenberg: No Cell Towers Near the White Clay Creek Preserve!

Petition to the Board of Supervisors of New Garden Township regarding proposed Conditional Use Application of Eco-Site, LLC for a communications tower on PROPERTY at 1511 Yeatmans Station Road

We the undersigned, being residents and taxpayers of New Garden Township and London Britain Township, oppose the construction of a communications tower on a property owned by Anthony J. and Renee L. Santoro located at 1511 Yeatmans Station Road.

We recognize that the White Clay Creek Preserve, part of the park system of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a pristine natural resource possessing outstanding scenic, wildlife, recreational and cultural value; and further recognize that the White Clay Creek flows through the Preserve and, because of the Creek’s exceptional value, has been designated by the United States Congress as a National Wild and Scenic River.

Our federal and state tax dollars have contributed to the preservation of the Preserve and New Garden and London Britain Townships have supported the Preserve and its natural and scenic resources. We utilize the Preserve for the recreational, scenic and natural resource opportunities it provides.

We strongly believe that the location of a communications tower on the property at 1511 Yeatmans Station Road adjacent to the Preserve and close to residential properties in both Townships, whether or not obscured by stealth technology, will have a negative effect on the view to and from the Preserve and other nearby properties; will have a negative impact on scenic, natural, recreational and cultural resources; will be contrary to the open space and preservation purposes fostered by the Preserve and the Townships; and will have a negative effect on the value of residential properties in both Townships.

Therefore, we urge the Board of Supervisors of New Garden Township to deny the request of Eco-Site, LLC for conditional use approval of the proposed communications tower.

Why is this important?

An application has been received for conditional use approval by the New Garden Township Board of Supervisors to construct a 130 foot communications tower on the property owned by Anthony J. Santoro and Renee L. Santoro located at 1511 Yeatman's Station Road, Landenberg PA. The property is located within the R-1 Residential Low Density Zoning District. Concerned citizens of Landenberg oppose the placement of this industrial tower due to its proximity to the White Clay Creek Preserve, home to over 90 species of birds and habitat to over 100 varieties of migratory birds, including American Bald Eagles, birds of conservation concern, rare plants, including three endangered, one threatened, and two rare plant species that grow in the surrounding area. White Clay Creek possesses outstanding scenic, wildlife, recreational, and cultural value, it has been designated by Congress as a National Wild and Scenic River, we would like to see that it is preserved for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations to come.

We feel that the current proposed area would negatively impact the preserve creating an adverse visual impact for park users, and significantly impacting neighboring residential communities by markedly reducing property values, creating millions of dollars of devaluation in home prices directly effecting individuals in our Landenberg neighborhoods. In addition, it would ruin views both from the park and from many homes in the area that look only on nature, homes, and farms. Many residents purchased their homes for the visual beauty which the view of the park provides, not an industrial cell tower. Stealth means of camouflage would create an eyesore as the tower would be some thirty feet above the natural tree line and could be seen for miles around.

Cell towers negatively impact the health of birds and wildlife not only living in the proposed area but also those that migrate through the area. When there are other commercial and municipals lands available, many with higher elevations, we ask our Board of Supervisors to vote NO to placing a communications tower in its proposed location, in the some of the most beautiful, scenic, unique, lands in New Garden and London Britain Townships and within Southern Chester County as a whole. We strongly support the use of alternative locations and alternative technologies that would better serve the needs of all members of our community to provide safe mobile phone coverage without adverse environmental and economic impacts to our citizens.