Supervisors approve special-use permits for electric co-op service center and Verizon tower

The Greensville County Board of Supervisors approved special-use permits for two infrastructure projects: a public utility service center for Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative and a telecommunications tower for Cellco Partnership (doing business as Verizon Wireless).

Planning staff introduced both items and said the planning commission recommended approval with six conditions for each application. On the electric cooperative request, the applicant said the existing facilities date to the early 1960s and that the cooperative needs to expand to serve growing commercial accounts in the Emporia district and adjacent counties. "We certainly need to grow and and to have the soldiers do that, and we thank you tonight for helping us continue to do that," applicant David Wilson said.

On the Verizon application, zoning counsel Lisa Murphy said Verizon seeks a 195-foot self-support monopole with a 4-foot lightning rod sited on about 103 acres zoned A-1. Murphy said there are no nearby towers within the applicant's search ring and the new structure would help fill coverage gaps. "The proposed telecommunications tower is critical to Verizon Wireless' goal of providing state of the art capacity for its voice and data services in the county," Murphy said. She and staff emphasized design measures — neutral equipment cabinets, galvanized monopole without guy wires, and placement within a heavily buffered lease area — intended to limit visual impact.

Board action and conflict: The board approved the permits following public hearing and staff recommendation. One board member said they would abstain "on the grounds that I have directly related to this project." Staff noted estimated construction timing in applicant materials, with a target build plan for 2027 and an on-air target in spring months when site work and colocation negotiations are complete.

The permits were approved with the conditions enumerated in the staff reports and the planning commission recommendations; staff will follow up on required site-plan and construction reviews before permits are finalized.