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Planning commission recommends approval for fiber hub in Stevensburg after applicant moves site into tree line
Summary
Network Towers LLC secured a favorable recommendation from the Culpeper County Planning Commission for a conditional use permit to build a fenced fiber hub compound in a wooded part of a Stevensburg District parcel, after the applicant moved the compound farther from Route 522 and nearby homes and agreed to screening and other conditions.
The Culpeper County Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a conditional use permit for a fiber hub facility proposed by Network Towers LLC, to be located on a leased 100-by-100-foot compound on a privately owned A-1 agricultural parcel at the corner of Zack Taylor Highway (Route 522) and Cedar Grove Road (Route 652) in the Stevensburg magisterial district.
The proposal, presented by Drew Patterson, director of Network Towers, relocated the compound from a previously proposed site nearer Route 522 into the wooded portion of the parcel after conversations with Supervisor Susan Cugino. Patterson said the compound is now at least 1,150 feet from Route 522 and about 1,062 feet from the nearest house on Cedar Grove Road; he told the commission the facility "will have little to no visibility from Cedar Grove Road," and that once constructed the fenced, tree‑surrounded compound "will be wholly surrounded by trees." Patterson said the site is designed to house two shelters initially and room for up to six shelter-size footprints or cabinets overall.
Why it matters: Network Towers described the hub as a place where residential and commercial internet providers can locate cabinets or shelters off the roadside, reducing unsightly roadside cabinets and providing a managed, fenced location for fiber distribution equipment. Commissioners and residents raised questions about noise, fire safety, screening, decommissioning and who will ultimately use the facility.
Commission discussion and conditions: Commissioners pressed for detail on generator noise, fire suppression, access, screening and decommissioning. Patterson said each generator produces about 75 decibels (he characterized that level as comparable to a typical three‑ton HVAC unit) and that generators, cameras and motion‑sensed lighting would be directed inward. He said shelters will include fire suppression and that the company monitors alarms 24 hours a day. Patterson offered to accept a non‑expansion condition and to install landscaping if the property is ever logged. Staff advised the commission the site must be developed substantially in accordance with the concept plan dated Jan. 31, 2025, and recommended several conditions, including reservation or expansion of the lease area to accommodate screening buffers in accordance with Appendix A section 33‑9, obtaining any required sight‑distance easements per VDOT standards, and installing/maintaining vegetative screening if existing screening is lost.
Public comment: Neighbors voiced questions about wording in plans, proximity to houses and potential future expansion. Tammy Schulte, a Cedar Grove Road resident, requested that plan text not use the term "cell tower" and said the nearest‑house distance shown in some materials was inconsistent with actual measurements. Property co‑owner Charlotte Riley said she preferred the new wooded location to the original field location. Other speakers asked about water, radon and cumulative development near the county.
Action and next steps: The commission made findings required by Article 17 and Code of Virginia § 15.2‑2232 and voted to forward the application with a recommendation of approval to the Board of Supervisors, subject to the conditions presented by staff and the applicant's agreement to screening and limits on expansion. The commission recorded the vote by voice; the recommendation will go to the Board of Supervisors for final action.
