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Board grants Verizon special exception for Tallentown Road monopole with conditions
Summary
The Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors approved a special exception and height waiver for a Verizon 95‑foot monopole (99 feet including lightning rod) on a 33‑acre A‑1 parcel near the Richmond County line after staff and applicant presentations and no public opposition.
The Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors approved a special exception and associated height waiver for a Verizon Wireless telecommunications monopole on Tallentown Road after a public hearing at its December meeting.
Planning staff described the proposed site as a roughly 33‑acre agricultural (A‑1) parcel near the Richmond County line and recommended approval with conditions requiring conformance to the development plan, a 10‑foot vegetation buffer around the base, and permit activity within the standard approval period. The proposal called for a 95‑foot monopole with a 4‑foot lightning rod (total height 99 feet) sited near an existing hedgerow to provide natural buffering.
Zoning counsel Lisa Murphy represented Verizon and said the carrier had no feasible collocation or alternative site within the county spacing standards and emphasized the passive nature of the installation — limited visits for maintenance and no regular employees on site. "Carriers don't like to build towers. They're extremely capital intensive," Murphy said, noting the site was selected to minimise visibility and traffic.
There were no public speakers in opposition. A supervisor moved to approve the special exception and the board voted in favor; the chair declared the motion carried. The approval included the staff‑recommended conditions and the height waiver.
The applicant team included landowners Carolyn and Marion Packet and technical representative Sean Bamman, with zoning counsel Lisa Murphy speaking for Verizon. The planning commission had recommended approval, and staff recorded that the site is outside known wetlands or flood zones and is consistent with the county comprehensive plan for the stated location.
The board did not amend the conditions at the hearing; next steps will be permitting and site construction subject to county and VDOT access requirements and any required state or federal permits.
