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Home My WebLink AboutSP201600004 Approval - Agencies Special Use Permit 2016-03-24COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 1601 Orange Road Culpeper. Virginia 22761 Charles A. Kilpatrick, P.E. Commissioner March 11, 2016 Christopher Perez County of Albemarle Department of Community Development 401 McIntire Road Charlottesville, VA 22902 Re: SP20164 Albemarle High School Comm. Facility Tier III Personal Wireless Service Facility Dear Mr. Perez, We have reviewed the Albemarle High School Comm. Facility - Tier III Personal Wireless Service Facility site plan and other associated documents, dated February 12, 2016, as submitted by Milestone Communications, and we have no objection to the plan as submitted. If you need additional information concerning this project, please feel free to contact me. del D. DeNunzio, P.E. Resident Engineer VDOT - Charlottesville 0 CHARLOTTESVILLE INNOVATION C O U N I L Trca,votoviarit9,etemom Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Albemarle County Planning Commission 401 McIntire Road 401 McIntire Road Charlottesville,VA 22902 Charlottesville,VA 22902 Attn: Diantha H. McKeel,Chair Attu: ChairJ.Timothy Keller,Chair Re: Wireless Communications Infrastructure in Albemarle County-Proposed Milestone Communications Facility at Albemarle High School Dear Supervisors and Commissioners: An important part of our mission at the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council is to accelerate technology innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. We strive to facilitate productive collaboration among the various segments of our region's technology community,to z promote a supportive infrastructure,and to advocate for a robust,sustainable technology-based economy. We are fortunate that Albemarle County Public Schools provide top-quality education to our County's students, the innovators and business leaders of our community's future. Among its many departments and resources, the Schools' Department of Accountability, Research, and Technology(DART)provides access to a wide range of technologies and information in support of student achievement and workforce excellence. As you know,the School Board is currently working to improve its existing wireless broadband system. To that end, it has approved a partnership with Milestone Communications to construct a new facility at Albemarle High School that would dramatically improve wireless Internet and communications services for students and I" teachers at Albemarle High School,Jack Jouett Middle School,and Greer Elementary school. I The CBIC would like to express its support for this proposed project. We understand that it will involve a 125'monopole set back on the AHS property,and we are aware that the monopole will be visible from Hydraulic Road,very similar to the existing athletic field and parking lot light poles. We strongly believe that the benefits this facility will provide to the students, faculty, and / administration at Greer, Jack Jouett, and Albemarle High School would outweigh any visual impacts to passing drivers. High school and middle school students take their laptops home to continue their workdays, but A the signal from the existing AHS antenna does not reach all students. With an improved communications facility at AHS, the schools' free, secure and managed Internet will reach far more students. Internet is a necessity for students today to access homework assignments,to communicate with teachers, to research and collaborate on projects virtually, and to submit I homework. Internet from the AHS facility is a closed system managed by the schools,so is safe A' for our students to use. in addition to improved wireless services,the Schools Board will receive P.Q.Box 303 1 Charlottesville,Virginia 22902 1 www.Cvi€lelnnovation..citrg 1 T.434/42.5886 1 t I 0 CHARLOTTESVILLE I BUSINESS INNOVATION C O UN CI L ,totaktyultcoiecytailtsPehtt.ivilp 1 cash payments from Milestone and share in lease revenue received from commercial wireless providers. In addition,the School Board shares its wireless network with Albemarle's police,fire, and rescue personnel. I We also acknowledge that this proposed site will provide network infrastructure for commercial carriers. Please do not discount the importance of improved wireless infrastructure to our community. Wireless data usage by mobile devices is increasing exponentially as we operate more and more wireless devices and use them to do more tasks--from banking,commerce,and Ielectronic payments to health care information management to video calling and data streaming. In fact,mobile data traffic is expected to increase fifteen times from 2015 to 2020, U.S. mobile video traffic is expected to grow seven times during that same period,and in 2016 alone,mobile payments users are expected to increase 150%to 50 millionf. Albemarle County needs a robust wireless communications infrastructure to keep up with our growing population's increasing use 1 of technology in our everyday lives. i I Since the County's Personal Wireless Service Facility Policy was adopted in 2000,the number of 1 U.S.wireless consumers has increased from 100 million to 355.4 million,according to CTIA's 2014 survey. The number of wireless subscribers does not tell the whole story of increased demand because, in 2000, the smartphone was relatively new. Now, 80%of global consumers own a srnartphone,an increase of 26%from 2012; and 40%own a tablet and smartphone as well as a E desktop device.2 The ever-increasing number of wireless devices demand more powerful II networks. Carriers need to deploy more technology than the County's preferred tree-top 1 monopoles can realistically accommodate. Tall monopoles with full arrays are not appropriate I in all locations, but this facility is ideally situated to serve numerous residential neighborhoods with minimal visibility. I We hope that you will vote in favor of this proposed facility,which will accommodate the schools 4 as well as multiple carriers in a location of minimal visual impact Let's work together to advance technology in our community. Please vote "yes"and allow our community to provide a strong and effective wireless network to its future technology workers and entrepreneurs. I Thank you for your consideration. 41 ti 1 c i i Anntho el 1 Chairman,Charlottesville Business innovation Council 11. 1 / 2 Source:Accenture,The 2016 Accenture Screengager Report,April 2016;available at: l https://w waccertture.ccmfscreena r 1 P.O.Box 303 1 Charlottesville,Virginia 22902 1 www. iiietnnowatian.org 1 T.434.242.5886 t 1 4 IIER / 1 .11,..Ef A III 1 _ ... .. , , Charlottesville Regional ' Chamber of Commerce A New Century':.. dedicated to representing private enterprise,promoting business and enhancing the quality of life in our Greater Charlottesville communities." 1 4 cvillechamber.com •209 Fifth Street,NE •Charlottesville,Virginia 22902 4 Chamber Resolution (16-1): Support for Progressive Telecommunications Technologies Advancement and Revised and Aligned Local Governmental Telecommunications Policies & Regulation i WHEREAS, our Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1913 and today with more A than 1,200 member and affiliate member enterprises employing more than 45,000 people in our communities, representing an estimated total payroll of more than $1.75 billion a year, is dedicated to "representing private 1 enterprise,promoting business and enhancing the quality of life in our Greater Charlottesville communities,`" } WHEREAS, our Chamber has long-recognized and strongly supported the indispensable role of 4 advancing telecommunications within our economy and lives, including, as stated in our "Code of Chamber Public Policies 4 Knowledge and information are the currency of today's and tomorrow's highly competitive, rapidly changing, instantaneous global economy. The'American telecommunications system and 1 infrastructure, the best in the world, has been built and maintained by a successful partnership of j ingenuity and investment of private enterprise with a limited governmental role. "Our Chamber believes that private enterprise should continue its leadership in telecommunications and that the governmental role local, state and federal — should be limited to ensuring full, fair competition and citizen access only in those circumstances where private enterprise cannot perform. ' 4 WHEREAS, federal and Virginia law recognize, in our rapidly-advancing national and global technology community, local governmental regulation should guide and balance, not impede, communities' telecommunications infrastructure to aid efficient and secure citizen, fire &rescue, police, education, business civic wireless and telecommunications access, connectivity and coverage; 4 1 WHEREAS, local governmental telecommunications policies in some cases have not sustained pace with 4 the rapidly evolving technological needs of citizens, businesses,schools, organizations and institutions; i , 1 WHEREAS,.telecommunications technological advancements in design, efficiency, operations, cost, maintenance, and the increasing demand for wireless data transmission compel reevaluation and revision of local governmental telecommunications regulations beyond previous singular or limited criteria, in balance with 1 current and future citizen and market necessities; WHEREAS, many private enterprise telecommunications firms offer available sources of additional local ,1 governmental and citizen revenues, while meeting those current and future citizen and market necessities; t =1 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Directors of our Charlottesville Regional Chamber of l Commerce that our Chamber supports progressive telecommunications technologies advancement and appropriately revised and aligned local governmental telecommunications policies and regulation. X//4drIavi, Felts 1 Chairman of the Board of Directors 1 __May 24, 2016 x/71vuothrJ. H-ulbevt President 4 1 1 i II 1 I ; 1 4 4 i i 4 3