Resident asks board to rescind setback waiver for proposed 300-foot telecom tower near Old Nottoway Road

Theresa Hines, the owner of property at 6039 Old Nottoway Road, told the Nottoway County Board of Supervisors she and her family discovered blue and orange survey flags in April and measured the proposed tower location to be about 33 feet from their property line, and said they were not notified about a February public hearing or the county’s special-exception request to reduce zoning setbacks.

Hines said she paid for a private survey after learning of a planned structure and that county staff told her a notice was mailed in February. “For the record, I never received anything,” Hines said, adding that she obtained a copy of a notice when she visited the planning office on April 30. She asked the board to “reconsider and rescind the setback waiver until all matters can be appropriately heard and discussed.”

Neighbor Britney Spivey, who identified herself as a homeschooling mother with a background in health administration, urged a precautionary approach to siting the tower near residences and children. “There’s some scientific research on radio frequency … that remains inconclusive,” Spivey said, asking the board to prioritize alternative sites away from schools, homes and animal habitats and to require a “comprehensive environmental and health impact assessment.”

The board’s planning staff and planning commission were discussed in the public comments: Hines said planning staff member Greg Zote told her notices had been mailed, but she produced postal records indicating no county mail reached her address. A county official present said the public hearing had been advertised and that copies of application materials were available at the planning office.

No formal action or vote on the tower location or the setback waiver was taken during the meeting. The board did not rescind or alter the waiver; instead staff said they would proceed with the advertised process and the item remains subject to planning review. Hines said she is available to meet with staff to resolve notification and setback questions.

Why it matters: Residents, particularly those with young children or animals, raised health and transparency concerns and asked the board to delay or reverse a setback waiver that would place the tower closer to homes than the zoning code normally permits. The board’s next steps will determine whether the waiver remains in effect while staff confirms whether abutting property owners were properly notified.

The board heard the comments during the public comment period; the planning application and any formal actions remain in the county planning records.