To the Editor:

I’ve had a lot of conversations about the 180-foot tall emergency management system towers proposed for Edwards Hill, in Rensselaerville, and now for Uhai, in Berne.   This issue has divided our community, but there is really Rensselaerville, and now for Uhai, in Berne.   This issue has divided our community, but there is really no need for it to do so.

Everyone agrees that improved communication systems for our first responders are vital.  And, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office is the entity best equipped to set up that system.  But, they are not experts on rural economy, agro-tourism, or community comprehensive planning, and we rely on our town planning boards to take all of these things into consideration when considering high-impact developments like these towers.

Many people, like me, oppose placing a tower on Edwards Hill because we are confident that there are locations that will provide better communication coverage, with less impact to the beauty of our area.  The same is almost certainly true at Uhai.

In this case, I think it is possible to have our cake and eat it too.   We should be working together to provide a solution that will get our first responders the communication system they need without harming the scenic heart of the Helderbergs.

Motorola will receive its $20 million check no matter where the tower goes.  It is up to the local communities to demand that they identify the best solution for our communities, not simply the easiest.

The choice is not between saving a life and saving a view.  We can save both.

Charles D. Burgess

Rensselaerville

Editor’s note: Charles D. Burgess works for the Open Space Institute.