In addition to the pages and pages of signed petitions that were sent to Act 250 in opposition to the proposed cell tower on Barton Mountain in the fall and winter of 2004, hundreds of letters were also sent to the Commission.  See Letter to Act 250, page 4 on this website.   Below are excepts from those letters on which hand-written signed personal notes were included.   In the interest of privacy, names are withheld.  

"As a resident of 35 years, I strongly oppose the location.  This is a Landmark in the N.E. Kingdom, please don't spoil it." 

"As a resident of the N. E. Kingdom, and Willoughby Lake for 56 years, I most adamantly oppose the installation!!!"

"I'm a Family Practice Doc.  I don't think more cell phone coverage is truly needed in our community especially when it means ugly tower(s). Please deny tower approval. Thank you."

"We've hiked Barton Mountain with our children since they were babies and have instilled the love of nature in them--now they're models for another generation.  We were all so disappointed when the road was put in...where will the wilderness be for our grandchildren?

"As part of the sixth generation ________ family in Barton, I am distressed at the thought of the defacement of Barton Mountain.  Please consider another site for the tower!"

"The view of Vermont's beautiful mountains surrounds me, and I feel very fortunate.  Although this year, I feel the reason my taxes went up over $400 is because of that view.  To think that a cell tower will be on any of these mountains is a disgrace....Seeing the old tower on Barton Mountain does offend me....Cell towers should be set up, if absolutely necessary, along the interstates, where the effect is not so great on the people of the surrounding areas."

"Matters that impact the community in this way need to be decided with real input from the community. Towns in the Northeast Kingdom are repeatedly being asked to sacrifice their few resources to support business ventures that serve other communities."

"...Current technology available to Verizon can provide cell coverage in alternate ways without the visual damages we all wish to avoid.   As an architect, (we) chose to retire in Vermont because of the extraordinary natural beauty.  It is imperative that all residents vigorously maintain this "gift of nature."  Thinking people laud the achievements of technology but remain ever mindful of the maintenance of balance possible to keep the sacred green earth a precious heritage for coming generations."

" Our city does not want to see the eyesore the Verizon tower would produce.  The Zoning Board is not representing me.  Verizon is a bad business partner and has ignored paying Barton Village for pole usage in three years. Nor will any spokesperson return our village supervisor's call.  Please do not approve Verizon's or Barton Zoning Board's request. Barton is being used at their convenience and disregarded as... a community. Please Do Not Allow Barton to become UGLY by allowing the Verizon Pole on Barton Mountain."

"Tourism is a key component of my business.  People come here to enjoy the area's natural beauty and to escape development.  Please give consideration to the... long term and to the aesthetic ramifications of opening Barton Moutain to cell tower development. Thank you."

"If a better site can be found, why destroy our ridge lines.  We have so little as it is.  Please let us keep our natural beauty."

"Because of the prominence of this site, I feel Barton Mountain should be off-limits to all further towers and any other industrial use.  This site is the most intrustive site Verizon could have chosen."

"I'm against any type of development anywhere in this state.  Look around and see what's happened to it already.  It's about time that we wake up and see what's going on.  Most of these developers don't give a hoot about the old Vermont.  Once it's gone; it's gone forever.  Look at Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania."

"Vermont's ridge lines should be "off limits" to economic development and profit margin endeavors."

"I totally agree with the people opposed to cell towers on Barton Mountan.  I firmly believe that this is another case of give them an inch and they will take a mile!!"

"I was born in Wisconsin and have lived in eight states. I choose to live in Vermont for its natural beauty.  Once lost, this beauty cannot be re-established.  Technology does not have to eliminate scenery!!"

"I understand that alternative sites have been located that would not affect Barton Mountain and its beauty.  Actually, the mountain should not be touched with any development."

"We must preserve the pristine beauty of Barton Mountain and all of Vermont's Mountains and ridge lines."

Barton Mountain must remain free of industrial development and off-limits to this, or any future cell phone towers."

"A cell tower would detract from the beauty of the area."

"I strongly object to some monstrosity sticking up above our woods.  I also object to Verizon's total disregard of the negative impact this monstrosity would have over our economy and that of future generations.  A lot of people tell me they come here to vacation because they don't want a telephone or want to listen to the T.V.  They come here for the peace and quiet.  To even entertain the idea of industrializing Barton Mountain is totally irresponsible and against Barton's plan for growth.  Please do not allow any one to take away our tourist trade."

The Verizon tower still won't give service in Barton Village.  If this tower is permitted, it will open the door for industrializing our beloved Barton Mountain.  I hear there is already an FM radio station looking to put up their tower there.  How about...no tower and only a small box on a utility pole."

"I have enjoyed summers on Barton Mountain for the last six years.  I am an outdoors person and enjoy the old time rural beauty of this area.  It reminds me of when I was a kid and what it used to be like.  The scenic and rural beauty down-country has been ruined with towers everywhere.  I hope that doesn't happen here, as I was planning on spending my retirement here..."

"If a tower were necessary, we might have to consider it; but it's simply not.  Beauty, undisturbed, nourishes the soul of humanity and is necessary, for all of our sanity.  In Japanese, the word for order, beauty, and the natural world is one word, "Li."

"We think the tower should be placed on the interstate right-of-way and the money go to repairing highways."

"Let's wait for the size of towers to get smaller as we have seen happen with things like satellite TV [dishes]."

"I feel there are alternative technologies available that would not require road building and ridge line towers.  They should be explored."

"A tower would be an unfortunate mar on Barton Mountain -- definitely not the least instrusive method to provide cell service, and would not help the townspeople anyway."

"Please Diane, do your best to promote an off-limits [approach] to development on Barton Mountain."