Planning commission backs special-use permit for 197-foot Farmville communications tower

The Prince Edward County Planning Commission unanimously voted to forward a special-use permit for a proposed 197-foot, self-supporting communications tower at 85 SMI Way in Farmville to the county Board of Supervisors for final consideration in October. The applicant, Arcola Towers, proposed the facility to host Verizon Wireless equipment and capacity for at least three additional broadband carriers.

County staff said the site is on a 4.7-acre parcel (tax map parcel 023B-2-2) in the I-1 general industrial zoning district and that the use requires a special-use permit. Robbie Love, planning department staff, told the commission that the public hearing notice ran in the Farmville Herald on Aug. 6 and Aug. 8, that adjoining property owners and the Town of Farmville were notified by letter as required by Virginia law, and that staff had received no calls for or against the application. Love said, "County staff is of the opinion that the use is generally compatible with the zoning district and will have very minimal impact."

Jonathan Yates, representing Arcola Towers, said the company plans a self-supporting tower designed for Verizon and additional carriers and described local service and public-safety benefits. "There's no noise. There's no odor, vibration, fumes, or glare. We simply bring infrastructure, and that's all we are," Yates said. He told the commission the site lies about one-tenth of a mile from the intersection with Industrial Park Road and that construction would generate only short-term traffic during the build; once complete, the facility would not generate routine traffic.

Applicants also described a typical construction timetable: site preparation and foundation work followed by a period for concrete cure, with the tower components stacked and installed in a single day; Arcola Towers estimated roughly 45 to 60 days between site mobilization and tower erection, followed by additional time for carrier integration. The applicant noted the tower would expand voice and broadband coverage in the area and support 911 communications.

The commission reviewed a set of 11 proposed conditions drafted by staff and shared with the applicant in advance; members said they had no additional conditions to add. A motion to approve forwarding the application, with those conditions, passed unanimously. Roll-call votes recorded the following commissioners voting yes: Hogan, Hart, Perry, Gilliam, Fuller, Copeland, Page and Prangaman. The commission’s action directs the application to the Board of Supervisors for a public hearing and final decision at its October meeting.

No members of the public spoke for or against the application during the planning commission’s hearing. The transcript and staff materials indicate letters were sent to neighboring property owners and the town as part of the notice process and that the county received no calls in response to the public notice.

If approved by the Board of Supervisors, the project would proceed to the permitting and installation stage under the conditions agreed to at the planning commission. The planning commission noted that additional Verizon and other carrier proposals may come before the county as the company continues to target coverage gaps within Prince Edward County.