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Applicant seeks expansion of fiber/telecom compound at Lee Highway; one public comment received
Summary
An application to expand a leased fiber-optic compound at 6390 Lee Highway would add a second inline amplifier shelter and 656 sq ft of fenced compound area on land leased from Warrenton Church of Christ; staff said no traffic increase anticipated and one letter of comment from Warrenton Lakes HOA was received that morning.
Planning staff presented an application to amend a 2019 category 20 special exception at 6390 Lee Highway (leased from Warrenton Church of Christ) to expand an existing fiber-optic inline-amplifier (ILA) compound operated by Middle Mile Infrastructure/Bridal Mile Infrastructure LLC. The proposal would expand the current 7,200-square-foot leased area by approximately 656 square feet to accommodate a second equipment shelter (roughly 864 sq ft, 13 feet tall), add two accessory equipment pads, and extend fencing and landscape screening to match the existing screening. Staff said technicians visit the site approximately once per month and that no increase in traffic is anticipated.
Staff noted findings required for a category 20 special exception, including that no more suitable commercial/industrial location is available, and said staff believes the required findings could be made as they were in 2019. A site-plan amendment would be required prior to expansion. Staff reported receiving one letter of public comment the morning of the work session from the Warrenton Lakes Homeowners Association and a response from the applicant; both documents were uploaded for commission review.
Why it matters: The expansion would increase the county’s telecom infrastructure footprint at a site in a residential zoning area and may raise neighborhood concerns about visibility, noise and long-term land use. Staff conditions require maintenance of healthy trees, fencing and landscaping, and that equipment be screened or enclosed; staff also noted no storage or vehicle-servicing would be allowed on the site.
The work session did not include a final decision; staff recommended moving forward with the application process and required findings and conditions to mirror the current approval with updated language.
