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Board approves special-use permit for fiber utility hub on Route 20
Summary
The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve a special-use permit for a fenced fiber utility hub on a 46.95-acre parcel adjacent to Route 20, with conditions requiring paved access, stormwater controls, landscaping and a requirement that the facility be removed within a year if it ceases operation.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors approved a special-use permit Tuesday to allow a fenced fiber utility hub on a 46.95-acre parcel along Route 20, voting 5-0 after the applicant agreed to tighten a landscaping condition.
County planner John Ryan told the board the project, proposed by Network Towers 2 LLC, would occupy a 98-by-98-foot compound inside a 100-by-100-foot leased area on tax map parcel 34-15C. The hub would “reboost” fiber signals and support expanded broadband service along Route 20, Ryan said.
The board’s approval follows the Planning Commission’s 4-0 recommendation and includes site-specific conditions in Resolution No. 25-01. Conditions require: paving the first 50 feet of the access road measured from the edge of Route 20; installation of a permanent stormwater conveyance channel and 18-inch cross culvert; maintenance of landscape buffers and an opaque perimeter buffer; compliance with primary-highway entrance spacing rules on any future subdivision; and decommissioning and removal of the facility within one year after the use ceases.
Drew Patterson, director of Network Towers, said the company will own and maintain the facility and build it large enough for multiple fiber providers to use. He described an 8-foot brown composite fence and precast concrete shelters behind the fence; the shelters rise to about 10 feet and the fence is 8 feet. Patterson said two 50-kilowatt propane generators are planned initially; he said they meet setback and spark-radius standards.
Board members and staff discussed screening and long-term maintenance. Patterson said the applicant will plant trees (Eastern arborvitae) and other screening; he agreed the opaque buffer would be maintained “shall” (not “should”), and staff noted the condition will be reflected in the permit.
Supervisor (mover not specified) moved approval of SUP 20-204-00327 as conditioned; the motion passed in a roll call with supervisors Van Hoven, Hale, Nickel, Marshall and Chairman Johnson voting aye.
The permit includes commitments aimed at keeping the shelter and equipment out of the public view and limiting future uses: landscaping is required, and county staff will require decommissioning within a year if the use ends. The applicant said the facility will be sited at least 100 feet back from Route 20 and that additional trees will be planted in front of cleared areas.
The board’s action clears the way for the project to proceed subject to the stated conditions. The applicant and staff noted they will formalize landscaping and other conditions in the permit documents.
The Planning Commission’s report, staff presentation and the applicant’s site plan are on file with Orange County Development Services.
