Grayson County supervisors approve US Cellular permit for 244-foot tower in Wilson District

The Grayson County Board of Supervisors on an affirmative voice vote approved a special-use permit submitted by US Cellular for a 244-foot freestanding communications tower at 3807 Grassy Creek Road in the Wilson District. The tower, proposed for a 63.9-acre tree farm, is intended to host four carriers and Grayson County’s E-911 equipment; the planning commission had recommended approval subject to conditions including a residential-setback variance, compliance with VDOT access requirements, completion of all permits and inspections, maintenance of colocation capacity and adherence to FAA lighting and fencing standards. Planning staff told the board the application had been reviewed by the planning commission on June 17 and found compliant with section 3-15 of the county zoning ordinance (communication tower regulations) and applicable FAA, FCC and environmental standards. Planning staff said three responses were received from adjacent property owners, including concerns about a power source potentially crossing the property. The commission’s recommendation asked the board to approve a variance reducing the off-site residential setback to 414 feet from the 500-foot requirement. An applicant representative for US Cellular described technical and safety features of the proposed structure and addressed public concerns. The representative said the company supports emergency-service communications and that "the priority for this system is 9 1 1." The representative said US Cellular has roaming agreements so other carriers can use the tower and that the tower is designed so that if it fails it would break into sections: "it is engineered to break into 4 pieces. It will never hit the ground as a solid tower," and that engineers were willing to certify the tower would fall within the fenced area. The transcript indicates the representative said US Cellular would start construction on three towers simultaneously if permitting was complete by October or November and that each tower would take about 61 days to erect. The motion approving special-use permit application 20250289 noted the proposed use was consistent with the county comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance and concluded it "will not adversely affect public health, safety, or welfare." The board’s vote was taken by voice; no roll call or individual vote tallies were recorded in the public transcript. What happened next: the board’s approval carries the planning commission’s recommended conditions, including the requested setback variance and permitting requirements. The planning staff and applicant identified outstanding permits and inspections as prerequisites to construction; the record indicates VDOT access approval and final FAA/FCC compliance must be obtained before work proceeds. Potential local impacts and next steps: adjacent property owners had submitted written responses expressing concerns, including about a power line crossing the site. The applicant has indicated an internal construction timeline contingent on permit approvals. The board did not state additional mitigation measures beyond those in the planning commission conditions and did not schedule further public comment at the meeting.