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Telecom Capital Group presents 179‑ft monopole plan to Planning Commission
Summary
Telecom Capital Group (TCG) presented a proposal for a 175‑foot monopole (179 ft with lightning rod) to improve Verizon coverage; presenters described co-location space, propagation maps, and engineering measures to limit collapse radius and agreed to coordinate with emergency services.
Telecom Capital Group presented its proposal to the King George County Planning Commission for a new monopole intended to improve Verizon wireless coverage and emergency 911 locationability in the area.
Agent Tracy Thiemak explained that Verizon is the lead carrier for the site and that increasing demand for voice and data (4G/5G) requires new macro sites. TCG proposed a 175‑foot monopole with a 4‑foot lightning rod (179 feet total). Verizon would be located at the 170‑foot centerline, with room for two additional collocators at 160 and 150 feet. Thiemak said the design follows county code goals to offer collocation and avoid a “pincushion” of smaller towers.
On structural safety, commissioners asked about the tower’s collapse radius. Thiemak and managing member Mark Fisher said the design includes engineered break points so the tower ‘‘collapses onto itself’’ rather than falling end‑over‑end; the tower is built in sections, they said, limiting fall radius. The applicants also committed to contacting county emergency services about potential county access or use and offered a county right of first refusal for space on the tower.
The presentation included propagation and coverage maps showing current gaps (patchy red/white areas) and projected in‑building (green) coverage with the new monopole; TCG also described placement on a roughly 2.5‑acre parcel in A‑2 zoning that meets setbacks. No formal vote was taken on the monopole tonight; the commission closed committee comment after questions.
