Tower Approved For Northumberland County

Cell phone reception in Northumberland County could improve in the near future as the board of supervisors on Thursday, October 12, unanimously approved a conditional use permit request by Arcola Towers, agent, and Kathy Bray, owner, to install a 197 foot wireless communication tower on Newmans Neck Road in Heathsville. The Rappahannock Record reports the tower would be on a two-acre parcel enclosed by fencing and screened with landscaping materials on three sides. The fourth side would be screened with existing vegetation. Construction will take 60-90 days and should begin early next year. Because the tower is under 200 feet, Yates said the Federal Aviation Administration did not require lighting. Verizon Wireless would be the first customer on the tower with room for another three customers plus reserved space for the county to use at no charge.