Hanover board approves permit for cellular tower

The Hanover County Board of Supervisors approved a special-exception permit for a 140-foot cellular tower last night on 25 acres off Williamsville Road despite about 10 people, and a petition with 80 signatures, that opposed the tower.

Five of the supervisors supported the permit, while two others -- Deborah B. Coats and Elton J. Wade Sr. -- abstained because they said they did not have enough information.

The decision came after the petition, which Planning Director Michael E. Crescenzo said had been included in the file last month when it first came before the board, was distributed to board members after a resident asked if the board had seen it. The proposal had been deferred from the August meeting, and Crescenzo said last night that he could not verify that the petition had ever been given to board members.

The board took a brief recess to look over the petition before coming back to open session and taking the vote.

Wade said he had concerns about signatures on the petition that were not accompanied by addresses to show where the petitioner lives in relation to the tower.

Residents opposed the tower for health reasons and the negative impact on property values. One resident suggested that the board is moving too quickly to approve towers and encouraged board members to create a countywide strategic plan for cellular towers.

Two people expressed their support for the tower, citing poor cellular coverage as well as the need for improved emergency communications.

Supervisor Charles D. McGhee said though "the will of the people is always taken into account," the board has the right to represent people who support the tower just as much those who don't support it.

Of the residents who spoke last night in opposition, he said some of them are closer to another tower off Rural Point Road and that they didn't speak out against that one during its application process.

Also last night, the board approved a conditional-use permit for a baseball-training facility that will be built on the Ashland Little League Inc. property along Whippoorwill Road.

The new facility, which will be called Hometown Baseball Ranch, will consist of a 10,000-square-foot indoor facility on 2.5 acres within the league's 52-acre property. There will also be an outdoor baseball field.

Both the indoor structure as well as the field will be used only for practices and training, not games or tournaments.

Contact Holly Prestidge at (804) 649-6945 or .