Board approves Dominion Energy easement for communications tower near Henrico jail site

The New Kent County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously May 20 to grant Dominion Energy a 30-foot variable-width easement across county property to provide electrical service to a communications tower being built near the Henrico Jail East complex.

County staff said the easement will allow Dominion to connect power to the tower, which staff described as a roughly 200-foot structure whose equipment would extend higher. “I believe it's a 200-foot tower…and with equipment it will extend [to] 217 feet,” Mr. Hathaway, a county staff presenter, told the board.

The board’s action follows a public hearing conducted “as required by state code,” Hathaway said. He told supervisors that a 2017 conditional-use permit for the tower includes conditions that have not yet been satisfied; staff has been coordinating with Henrico County and New Kent to ensure the conditions are addressed once Henrico takes possession of the new tower.

Hathaway said part of the outstanding work concerns equipment currently mounted to the county’s West Point tower (at the corner of Eltham Road and New Kent Highway). That equipment is no longer in active use by the county but remains on the county-leased space and is increasing county lease costs. He said Henrico has discussed removing that equipment from New Kent’s tower after taking possession of the new facility.

Supervisor Stewart moved to adopt Resolution R-09-25R1 granting the easement across county-owned parcel identified as tax map parcel 37-9A. The motion passed on a roll-call vote: Moyer, Pearson, Sears, Stewart and Evelyn voting aye.

The resolution authorizes the county manager and legal staff to finalize the easement documents and to coordinate removal of the legacy equipment once Henrico assumes control of the new tower, Hathaway said. The board did not take any separate action on the conditional-use permit; staff said the county will pursue compliance items in coordination with Henrico County.

Questions during the discussion focused on whether accepting the easement was a prerequisite for satisfying the 2017 permit conditions; staff said it was not, only that the parties are coordinating to resolve outstanding conditions.

Survey and parcel references in the motion identify the property by tax map number; the resolution delegates execution of final documents to county staff.

The board’s action was recorded as Resolution R-09-25R1.