Board approves 158‑foot telecom tower at Meadow Creek with conditions

The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Aug. 10 to approve a special‑use permit for a 158‑foot monopole telecommunications tower at the intersection of Meadow Creek Road and Youngs Lane.

County planning staff told the board the proposed Arcola Towers facility would sit on three parcels enrolled in Agricultural and Forest District No. 5 (AFD No. 5) and would be about 960 feet from the closest dwelling. Staff said the site is not in a FEMA‑designated flood zone, would not require land‑disturbance permitting under the 10,000‑square‑foot threshold, and that VDOT raised no safety concerns about the proposed new entrance. Planning recommended approval following a planning commission vote of 6–0 (with absences).

"The applicant has stated the area has low to marginal wireless coverage and that increased network capacity is needed," planning staff said during the presentation. The county record shows Verizon Wireless would be the primary provider and space for colocation would be available for other carriers and emergency services.

The board attached standard conditions to the approval: the tower height cannot exceed 158 feet exclusive of a lightning rod; the tower shall not be lighted unless required by the FAA; the monopole design and site development must substantially conform to the concept plan submitted with the special‑use permit application; dishes may not be installed above the lowest colocation elevation; and all wiring must be contained inside the monopole structure.

At a brief public hearing before the vote, local resident Steve Gillespie expressed concern that counties should consider future uses of tall towers, including potential surveillance‑type equipment. "I think that should be something the board looks at going forward," Gillespie said. No other speakers addressed this application.

The board approved the permit by roll call vote recorded as 6 ayes. The decision included the planning‑staff recommended conditions and a requirement that a written agreement for removal upon abandonment remain on the property record.