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Board approves two Verizon cell towers to fill local coverage gaps, adds conditions on removal of older infrastructure
Summary
The Louisa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved conditional use permits on Aug. 4 for two 199‑foot Verizon monopole towers—one at Jewett Elementary School and another near Route 522 and Chopping Road—to expand wireless coverage and capacity in the Jackson and Mineral districts.
The Louisa County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 4 approved two conditional use permits for new 199‑foot monopole wireless towers proposed by Cellco Partnership (doing business as Verizon Wireless).
One tower will be sited on county‑leased property at Jewett Elementary School in the Jackson election district and is intended to replace an older 180‑foot guy‑wire tower that currently carries county broadband equipment. Planning staff and the county’s wireless consultant supported the plan; the board added a condition requiring that any existing on‑site broadband tower be removed by the applicant at no cost to the county within 12 months after written notice from the county. The condition also clarified that the new CUP would supersede the older CUP covering the previous tower.
Verizon representatives told the board the new monopole will allow space for at least three commercial co‑users, reducing the need for additional towers across the county. The applicant noted they had reached out to other carriers in pre‑application meetings and that colocation will reduce tower proliferation. County staff requested language guaranteeing interim continuity of specific county services (notably animal‑shelter and landfill radio equipment) until other backhaul options such as Firefly become available; the board included staff‑approved language to ensure continuity where needed.
A second CUP was approved for a similar 199‑foot monopole near Route 522 and Chopping Road (a parcel in the Mineral election district). Staff and the county telecom consultant recommended approval for both applications; the planning commission had previously recommended approval.
Board members discussed the timing for removing the existing tower at Jewett, asking the applicant to either build and remove the old tower simultaneously or to commit to the 12‑month removal window; the board added the 12‑month deadline to the final condition set. The approval included the board’s standard landscape and setback requirements, a request for opaque fencing and a requirement that county equipment reserved in the lease continue to have space on the new structure should the county need it.
Supervisors framed the approvals as a response to local coverage and capacity problems. “There are dead zones everywhere,” said a board member during discussion. The measures passed unanimously.
