Planning Commission Gives Partial Approval to Cell Nodes Project

The Fairfax County Planning Commission deferred decision Thursday on three of the five cell nodes involved in a project from Crown Castle that aims to bring more cell coverage for AT&T customers.

Two of the proposed cell nodes — at Hunter Mill Road (near Welbourne Court) and Chain Bridge Road (near Courthouse Road) — received approval from the commission, on the condition the approval will not affect the "location, configuration, approval or disapproval of" the other three nodes.

Decision on the other three nodes has been deferred until April 28. Those nodes are located at Hunter Mill Road (near Lake Ridge Drive), 2674 Oak Valley Drive and 9905 Vale Road.

The nodes for Oak Valley Drive and Vale Road are being deferred so representatives from Crown Castle, formerly known as NewPath Networks, can work with the community to come up with a solution to their concerns about the nodes being located in residential neighborhoods.

The third node has been a concern of the Planning Commission since before the public hearing Dec. 9 because it does not fit with the aesthetics of the area.

The plan for the two nodes in residential areas came under scrutiny once nearby residents saw the public hearing notices posted beside telephone poles that would be altered for the nodes. Residents showed up to the public hearing to protest, and earned the support of the Planning Commission in making sure they have a chance to communicate with the applicant.

The applicant is not legally required to notify affected residents themselves, but it is strongly recommended.

"For all those people from the neighborhoods who are viewing this tonight, [I] thank you very much for your continuing correspondence that we are receiving on this application," said Kenneth Lawrence, planning commissioner representing Providence District. "It's giving a very good picture of where things stand. Please keep them coming."

John Janka, whose front yard would be affected by the approval of the Oak Valley Drive node, has been active in his objection to both nodes in residential areas. He spoke out at the public hearing, has since filed paperwork with the Planning Commission with ideas for different technologies, and attends community meetings with Crown Castle whenever possible.

In a letter to the commission before the Feb. 24 meeting, Janka wrote in opposition to an approval of any sort and cited insufficient community outreach as one of his concerns.

"Based on my conversations thus far, no such outreach has occurred to the many independent homeowners in the area," he wrote. "Rather, the applicant has made very limited outreach, almost entirely to two HOAs. It has not approached the numerous other homeowners near Node 8 who represent themselves—by my count over 100."

After the meeting, Janka was pleased with Lawrence's clear statement that an approval of two nodes will not affect the decision for the remaining three.

"I think it's terrific that the Planning Commission recognizes that these type of nodes in our neighborhoods have to be acceptable to the neighborhood," Janka said. "And I think it's terrific that they recognize that they're not going to let the applicant drive what they do in our neighborhood by what's being done on the major thoroughfares."

At the commission meeting, Lawrence also asked the applicant, on behalf of concerned residents, whether the recently approved tower at Madison High School would serve as a suitable alternative to building new nodes at Oak Valley Drive and Vale Road.

In the application for the approved tower at Madison, it was noted that it would "accommodate the collocation by other future service providers ... in accordance with Plan guidelines to locate multiple service providers on single structures."

Janka said he was happy to hear Lawrence ask the question because he feels the residents have not received a suitable answer from the applicant.

"If you've got a policy that says you've got to collocate, then why isn't that a solution here? Madison is spittin' distance from our street," Janka said. "You went through all this controversy on the Madison pole, so why doesn't anybody answer that question in regard to this one?"