Board approves 199-foot Double Bridges cell tower with conditions

The Lunenburg County Board of Supervisors voted Jan. 9 to approve Conditional Use Permit (CUP) 6-24, allowing Arcola Towers to recertify and reauthorize a 199-foot monopole-style wireless telecommunication facility on parcel 017-0A-0-37 (301 Double Bridges Road, Keysville).

Applicant representative Jonathan Yeatts told the board the area “there was a great need in the area for cellular service and their proposal would provide the wireless infrastructure needed to support better service.” He said construction would take about 60 days and that Verizon would later add equipment; he added the proposal would not create additional noise, lights or traffic and said the company would “be happy to work with public safety to accomplish any common goals.” Planning staff and the Planning Commission recommended approval with conditions.

The board voted to approve the permit by motion and roll call. The CUP’s conditions require compliance with building codes and permits, conformance with the county’s Wireless Telecommunications Facilities Ordinance, maintenance of setbacks, buffering, screening and fencing, provision of an easement or license to the county for inspection and emergency access, FAA and FCC compliance, use of vegetative buffers, and limits on permit transferability (the permit is limited to the applicant and does not run with the land).

The resolution lists the parcel owner as Timothy and Christopher Dix and identifies the leased footprint as 10,000 square feet within a 66-acre parcel. The board’s approval was recorded as unanimous. (Note: the meeting record spells the applicant representative’s name as “Jonathan Yeatts” in the public hearing and as “Jonathan Yates” in the printed resolution; the record contains both spellings.)