Board approves 175‑foot telecom monopole at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church after public hearing
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Summary
After a public hearing, the King George County Board of Supervisors approved a special‑exception permit for a 175‑foot monopole proposed by Telecom Capital Group at 5520 Saint Paul’s Road; proponents said the tower will improve coverage for fire and EMS while supporters at the hearing emphasized community benefits.
After a public hearing, the King George County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a special‑exception permit for a 175‑foot monopole telecommunications tower on property owned by the trustees of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 5520 Saint Paul’s Road.
Kelly DeLuc, county staff, summarized the application and the review process, telling the board the company had held a community meeting and a balloon test in March, that the proposed compound would cover roughly 3,500 square feet and that reviewing agencies submitted no major objections. DeLuc said the application met the King George County zoning ordinance’s performance standards for telecommunications facilities in the A‑2 district.
Tracy Fisher, representing Telecom Capital Group, said the proposal satisfies setback and land‑use requirements and described a graduated paint scheme to reduce visual impact. RF engineer Nayanra Mangra described the coverage gap the tower would address, saying the site would significantly improve cellular service between Dahlgren and James Madison Parkway and alleviate persistent dropouts in the Caledon/Dahlgren corridor.
Local residents and stakeholders spoke in support. James Shaw, a Claydale resident, said the tower would end years of dropped calls for his neighborhood. Reverend Lee Gandia Rechtoff of St. Paul’s Church said the church supports the project as a modest, respectful way to sustain its finances while serving community communications needs.
Supervisor Stroud moved to adopt an ordinance authorizing the special‑exception permit; the motion was seconded and the board carried the measure in a roll‑call vote. The approval follows an 8–0 favorable recommendation from the county Planning Commission in August and staff’s finding that the application meets zoning conditions.
The permit includes draft conditions noted in the staff report and the project will proceed to site‑plan review where those conditions and technical details will be enforced before construction.
