Board approves renewed permit for Crescent Lake communications tower after neighbor objection
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Summary
The Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors approved a special exception permit for a 195-foot Crescent Lake communications tower, reissuing an earlier 2023 approval whose permit had expired. An adjacent property owner voiced visual-impact concerns during the public hearing.
The Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a special exception permit (SEP) for a communications tower known as the Crescent Lake Tower, reissuing a project previously approved in 2023 whose permit had since expired. The approval followed a planning commission recommendation to re-issue the permit.
Anthony Bologna, an attorney with Williams Mullen representing the applicant, presented the proposal to supervisors, describing a 195-foot monopole with a 4-foot lightning rod and space for four to five antenna arrays. Bologna said Verizon Wireless would be the anchor tenant and showed site plans, a tower elevation and visibility maps. He told the board the application had been through required reviews, and that the planning commission voted unanimously last month to recommend issuance of a new SEP.
Adjacent property owner Lehi Swinney spoke during the public hearing, saying the tower would sit visually over his house and asking the board to reconsider the siting or explore alternative locations. "As I come down my driveway, I'm gonna be looking at this cell tower directly over my roof of my house," Swinney said, noting he had not known about the prior approval in 2023.
Supervisors and staff discussed county efforts to secure direct contact with Verizon representatives. Board members said they had experienced difficulty getting Verizon to present to the board and expressed concern about coverage gaps for emergency services. A representative associated with the applicant said they could serve as a local contact and would pursue Verizon government-affairs channels; county staff agreed to continue outreach.
After questions and public comment, a supervisor moved to approve the SEP consistent with the planning commission's recommendation; the board voted in favor by voice vote and the motion carried.
The approval reissues the prior project authorization; the board did not specify additional siting changes or conditions in the record of the meeting. The board's next procedural step for this item is administrative issuance of the permit and any site-plan recordation required by county staff.