Bedford County board approves special exception for 255-foot communications tower despite neighbor concerns

The Bedford County Board of Zoning Appeals on an unanimous vote approved a special-exception permit for a 255-foot communications tower on Halls Mill Road after staff and the applicant described measures to limit visual impact and meet safety requirements.

At a public hearing, nearby resident Karen Fisher told the board she lives on Hayfield Lane and asked how close the tower would be to homes, whether it was near schools and whether it could affect property values. "How close is it going to be to our homes?" Fisher asked, adding, "Is it going to affect the price of our house if we decide to sell it?"

Clark Davidson of Comsite, representing Towers LLC, answered technical questions and described siting decisions intended to reduce tree removal and preserve a natural buffer. "It will sit 476 ft away from the southern property line" and "it's a 255 ft tower," Davidson said, and he described other setback distances and a fall-zone estimate. He also said the facility is unmanned and expected to generate no noise.

Board members pressed the applicant about lighting and safety. Davidson described the lighting plan as following FAA requirements: "a white strobe during the day and then a glowing red light at night," with no high-speed night strobes. He and staff also described a fall zone that would fall within roughly 50% of the tower height (about a 130-foot radius), information the board said it received in the applicant’s fall-zone analysis.

Staff told the board Towers LLC provided plats, distance analyses and other documentation the ordinance requires to show that the site is needed and that alternative tower locations are not available within the required spacing. The applicant argued additional coverage is needed in growing areas and in parts of nearby Unionville where cellular service is poor, noting public-safety and EMS benefits.

Several commissioners acknowledged sympathy for nearby residents’ concerns but said the application met the county’s ordinance standards. The board moved to approve the special exception with the conditions discussed (including required fire/exiting documentation, inspections, buffering and adherence to the described lighting scheme) and voted unanimously to grant the permit.

The board did not list additional conditions in the public record beyond the items staff said would remain to be completed; the applicant was told to return with required safety documentation and to allow staff inspections before final compliance was confirmed.