Shame on officials OK’ing towers

Letter to the editor
Published: June 12, 2008

Editor:

On June 4, the Madison County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors voted to allow two more 199-foot communications towers; a third 199-foot tower permit was tabled. Soon Madison will be a giant pincushion with 200-foot towers lining Routes 15, 29, 230, and 231.

One tower is in the middle of the view west from 29, looking over Hebron Valley to the Blue Ridge. Common wisdom is that if we want cell service we have to look at giant towers. This is not true.

The planning commission admits it has not researched Albemarle County’s wireless communication policy, which has been successful in providing cell service with nearly invisible towers.  It is a very clear policy; anyone concerned with cell service, views, or County tax revenues should take a look at Albemarle’s picture-rich policy. It’s on-line at: http://www.albemarle.org/department.asp?department=planning&relpage=2462.

The Madison County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors only technical advice on cellular service is coming from the special use applicants. Would you ask a new car dealer if you would be better off buying a used car? Why are these special interests our only source of technical information?

Why not ask neighboring counties for their experience and ordinances to make an informed, objective decision?

And why expect a non-resident company to protect the things that we, the residents of this great county, value?  They’re acting in their best interests; it’s time we acted in our own.

Our comprehensive plan outlines a strategy to “encourage towers and antennas to be designed to blend into the surrounding environment.” Albemarle’s Plan does just that; requiring shorter, more numerous towers located and designed to be visually unobtrusive.  Thousands of applications have been processed by Albemarle under their policy; Verizon knows well how to build to that standard.

It is a scare tactic to claim that poor coverage will result if we deny these 199-foot monstrosities. Shame on the planning commission and board of supervisors for compromising our landscape without regard to the comp plan that you reviewed, revised, and then adopted in 2006.

Planning commission members: please, please, please look to our comprehensive plan for guidance and stop listening to the loudest voice in the room.

M. Beth Pastore
Wolftown
Madison Land Conservation Officer
Piedmont Environmental Council