Albemarle supervisors shot down a proposed AT&T cell phone tower Wednesday after neighbors said it would be an eyesore and decrease property values.
The supervisors had mixed views about whether the tower would be ugly for drivers on U.S. 250 near Morgantown Road. But the deal breaker was how visible the proposed tower would have been from neighbors’ property.
“This is a compact neighborhood,” said Jim Sofka, who said that he’d be able to see the proposed tower from his land.
Another couple said they feared the tower would decrease their property value.
The proposed brown, steel monopole tower would have been as tall as 69 feet and at least several feet above the tallest trees in the area.
All of the supervisors voted against the proposal, except Supervisor Rodney S. Thomas.
Attorney Valerie Long, who represented the applicant, said the wireless tower proposal was a compromise. AT&T would have liked a much larger tower but reduced the proposed size to fit county guidelines.
“We looked really hard to find a location that would work,” Long added.
Long asked that the proposal be deferred but was voted down.
She said that AT&T has been trying to fulfill the need for greater wireless coverage for a long time.
“They have to respond to a customer demand,” she said.
The brown tower aimed to blend with trees, though some residents said it didn’t blend well enough.
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