Planning commission denies Crown Castle tower permit over fall‑zone and safety concerns

The Powhatan Planning Commission voted on Jan. 6 to deny Crown Castle’s conditional use permit (case 25‑22 CUP) for a proposed telecommunications tower on a 13.1‑acre parcel in an A‑10 agricultural district. Staff and the applicant described the structure as a replacement for an existing tower; counselors and engineers said the proposed structure would have enhanced base strength and a fall‑radius certification, but commissioners questioned whether the proposal met local fall‑zone standards.

Drew De Stanislow, counsel for Crown Castle, said the new tower would replace and provide the same coverage as an existing tower slated to be decommissioned and described it as roughly 299 feet including lightning rod. "This tower is being built to replace and cover the same area that that previous tower formerly covered," Drew De Stanislow said. The applicant asked to defer the hearing to allow a third‑party fall‑zone review; the commission voted to deny that deferral and proceed with the hearing the same night.

Residents and county staff gave competing testimony on safety and coverage. Thomas Nolan (county director) said the county would not add additional equipment and that losing the existing tower even briefly could harm public‑safety communications: "If we lose it even for 30 days, it's a significant public safety issue," Nolan said. Nearby resident Larry Ojibwe raised electromagnetic‑field concerns and urged the tower be located away from residences and livestock.

Commissioners repeatedly referenced the ordinance’s fall‑zone test (the greater of a 500‑foot minimum or 200% of tower height) and concluded the proposed tower did not meet the county’s fall‑zone expectations for adjacent dwellings and property lines. On a roll‑call vote the commission approved a motion to deny the planning commission resolution for the CUP; the denial will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors on Jan. 26.