Tower Denied By a Town That Asks: “Do We Really Need This?”

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The Franklin County Planning Commission denied the request for a special-use permit to construct a 199-foot cell phone tower, based on lake area residents’ objections, reported the Smith Mountain Laker.

Lori Shweller, a representative for Verizon Wireless, said the proposed tower is needed to improve coverage, fill a service gap and help to offload increased cell phone traffic from two nearby towers. “We wouldn’t want to build a tower if a tower wasn’t needed in the area,” she said.

However, residents questioned if another location — farther away from homes — could be used. The proposed location is a .02-acre parcel that sits on 40 acres of undeveloped land, near an area golf course, 800 feet from the nearest home.

Penny Hodges, a local realtor, and a resident said the tower could reduce area property values by as much as 20 percent. She said it also would be an eyesore in the community. “It doesn’t belong in any residential neighborhood,” she added.

Prior to the 4-1 vote, planning commission member Jim Colby noted, “There is overwhelming community opposition to the proposed tower; therefore, I move to recommend denial of this request.”

The project will now be presented to the Franklin County Board of Supervisors for a final vote following a public hearing on March 19.  Comments? Email Us.

February 22, 2019

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