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Planning commission recommends telecom tower behind public safety building, pending airport review
Summary
The Washington County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval April 28 of a 195-foot self-support telecommunications tower behind the county public safety building, part of an eight-site emergency radio upgrade; recommendation is conditional on meeting airport-overlay requirements and will go to the Board of Supervisors on May 13.
The Washington County Planning Commission voted April 28 to recommend a special-exception permit for a 195-foot self-support telecommunications tower to be sited behind the county public safety building at 20281 Rustic Lane in Abingdon.
Fred Lau of Chaley Tower Consultants, the project's representative, described the structure as a self-support tower with no guy wires, a 50-by-50-foot fenced compound and a county-owned equipment shelter and emergency generator at the base. "This project is part of an 8 site build that we have planned to bring better service for the emergency responders within Washington County," Lau said.
The project is part of a countywide upgrade to emergency communications handled by Motorola Solutions and local partners. Mark Allen, the project engineer from Mission 1 Communications, told the commission the team has received FAA approval filings for this site: "We have our approval from the FAA," he said. Commissioners asked whether the site would allow other companies to co-locate antennas; project representatives said no colocations are planned initially.
Planning staff described the site context: the parcel is in the B-2 Business General zoning district immediately behind the public safety building that houses the sheriff's office and dispatch. The property abuts an Appalachian Power (AEP) substation and open space to the east; residences lie on the opposite side of Rustic Lane.
Commissioners raised airport-safety-overlay concerns. The record shows the commission confirmed the site appears to lie within the airport safety overlay and directed that the applicant make any required contacts with the airport. The commission moved and seconded a recommendation for approval with the condition that the tower meet airport-overlay requirements; the vote was unanimous. The Board of Supervisors will consider the planning commission's recommendation May 13 at 6:30 p.m.
No written public opposition was identified in the planning commission record; one nearby resident asked at the hearing how the tower would appear from her porch and was shown design elevations and placement relative to tree cover and an existing taller AEP tower.
