HomeMy WebLinkAboutSDP202100050 Correspondence 2021-05-19 (3),LSHENTEL®
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May 18, 2021
County of Albemarle
Department of Community Development
Attn: Rebecca Ragsdale
401 McIntire Road
Charlottesville, VA 22902
RE: Shentel(BEAM) Fixed Wireless Tier I1PWSF Application
50064 Patterson Mill
Dear Ms. Ragsdale;
Shenandoah Cable Television, LLC (`SHENTEL FDCED WIRELESS') requests the consideration of Albemarle County
for an Application for Tier II personal wireless service facility located on property owned by Patricia W. Patterson,
described as tax parcel 71-37J, and zoned RA in the Samuel Miller District. The proposed wireless service facility is
located at207 Patterson Mill Lane, Crozet.
SHENTEL FIXED WIRELESS is in the process of developing a Fixed Wireless Broadband internet network for portions
of Albemarle County. This is an exciting opportunity for Shentel to provide broadband internet to the underserved rural
communities in Albemarle County, who would otherwise be unable to obtain fast reliable broadband internet. This new
service will be branded as Beam Internet by Shentel. Beam by Shentel is a carrier grade 5G ready network that far
surpasses normal 15 Mbps of traditional DSL in rural areas. Beam provides (3) packages of speeds of up to 25 Mbps, 50
Mpbs and 100 Mpbs depending on your number of users or needs of the customer. Available speeds depend on the signal
strength, proximity to the tower, terrain and leaf cover. Packages include all necessary equipment including Wi-Fi router
You may visit iwantbeam. com for more information Once a tower is active, SHENTEL FIXED WIRELESS team will
market only to those underserved homes that do not have cable modem or fiber options available to them and have a
reasonable chance of having sufficient Beam signal.
SHENTEL FIXED WIRELESS commercially launched its new Beam fixed wireless service on October 5, 2020. To date,
we have activated (7) new cell sites to cover underserved portions of Albemarle County, (6) of which we partnered with
Albemarle County through the CARES Act funding to activate. Of those (7) cell sites, Beam will cover over 3,000
underserved County residents. In 2021, we have activated a new site at Afton Mountain and are proposing (2) more sites
at Patterson Mill (Crozet) and Chiles Mountain (south of Batesville).
SHENTEL FIXED WIRELESS is requesting a Tier II Application to construct a new PWSF on the property on Patterson
Mill Lane. There is an existing 90' Tier II treetop pole owned by Verizon Wireless built in 2001 directly adjacent to the
SHENTEL FIXED WIRELESS proposed PWSF. With this proposal, SHENTEL FDCED WIRELESS is proposing to
construct a new 98.5' treetop monopole within a 30'x30' leased ground area. The 87.92' White Oak identified on the site
plan as Reference Tree #84 has a dripline that is located 7.8 feet from the proposed monopole tower, as shown on Sheet P-
1 of the enclosed plans. As shown on sheet A-2 of the enclosed plans, the Reference Tree has a top elevation of 763.93'
above mean sea level. The proposed monopole tower will have a top elevation of 773.93' above mean sea level, 10'
above Reference Tree #84. The proposed 98.5' monopole meets the 1:1 setback to property limes to the south, east and
west. It does not meet the 1:1 setbackto the property lines to the north from Interstate 64 (see sheet R-1 of the enclosed
plans). Section 5.1.406 of the Zoning Ordinance allows the tower's fall zone within the right-of-way of public street
(Interstate 64) with the review from the Virginia Department of Transportation. Attached is an email dated 4/26/21 to
Adam J. Moore, Asst. Resident Engineer — Land Use Charlottesville Residency, VDOT Charlottesville Residency
comments.
SHENTEL FIXED WIRELESS is proposing to install (3) panel flush mounted antennas at the 95' radiation center and a
flat panel microwave dish on the monopole below the antennas. The proposed antennas and dish will meet the current
size and mounting standoff/projection requirements pursuant to 5.1.40b2 of the Zoning Ordinance. SHENTEL FIXED
WIRELESS is proposing to fence 20'x20' of the 30'x 30' ground lease area that will accommodate base station
equipment and utilize the existing access road already established for the adjacent Verizon PWSF from Patterson Mill
Lane. Because we are using the existing driveway, VDOT is requiring us to upgrade the entrance. An application for a
low volume commercial entrance is in process with VDOT.
The proposed Tier II PWSF has minimal visual impact on the surrounding area. Attached are photographic simulations
along with an index map. There are only three (3) locations the PWSF is visible for very brief moments: 1) traveling west
on Interstate 64, briefly looking south, 2) traveling east on Interstate 64, briefly looking south and 3) traveling east on
Interstate 64, looking east near the Crozet entrance ramp.
As proposed, the Tier II PWSF is located outside of the Greenwood -Afton Rural Historic District. The site is
approximately 1,500 ft. to the east of the closest parcel within the historic district. Several photographs were taken from
all NRHP and county sites within %: mile radius of the VAHDR's GIS identified sites. The proposed site is not visible
from any of these locations and are shown on the attached.
The proposed Tier II PWSF is located within an Entrance Corridor. Attached as is the Architectural Review Board
Application for review.
This proposed site will serve approximately 1,085 homes with Beam fixed wireless broadbandnternet that are currently
underserved with only unreliable DSL or satellite mternet services. The speeds and coverage offered by Beam to those
customers will dissolve the digital divide experienced by those who go to school, live and work in the rural portions of
Albemarle County surrounding the proposed facility, with minimal visual impact on the surrounding area.
I look forward to receiving your comments regarding this proposal. Within 10 days of this application submittal, I will
contact you to set up the required balloon simulation test on site. Please feel free to contact me if you need additional
information. Please send any correspondence tome by email to iessica.wilmer(a,emp.shentel.com and
vlong(awilliamsmullen.com.
Sincerely,
Jessie Wilmer
Shentel
Site Acquisition Manager
(540) 241-5060
Attachments