Shannon Kelly, Altavista Journal
The Campbell County Board of Supervisors approved a special use permit request for wireless provider Shentel, an affiliate of Sprint, to erect a telecommunications tower on Railview Road. The addition of this 165 feet tall tower will allow residents along U.S. 501 between Rustburg and Brookneal to experience more complete cell phone coverage by the end of this year. The expanded service will also provide improved internet connection in the area that will especially benefit individuals working from home and students enrolled in online classes, says Ryan Fletcher, a representative for Shentel.
A second special use permit request for Shentel to install a telecommunications tower on Waterlick Road was made to serve the need for greater capacities in a busy, populated area. Several residents on the street of the tower site were present to request the board not to approve the tower. In addition to concerns about property value depreciation, health concerns were also at the forefront of disagreement. Mary Logwood, a lifelong resident of Campbell County, expressed great concern for how the tower may affect her husband’s defibrillator. She said that her husband’s doctor explained their close proximity to the tower could potentially impact the function of the defibrillator. “This could affect his life,” she said earnestly. “I’m asking you as a citizen of Campbell County, please, please do not OK this tower in our neighborhood. Please don’t.” Because the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled that health concerns cannot legally be used as a basis for a local governing body to reject building a tower such as this, the Board of Supervisors approved the tower’s construction.
The Board unanimously agreed on dedicating a permanent memorial to Hugh W. Rosser, a Campbell County Board of Supervisors member for 52 years who passed away in March of 2017. Rosser is reportedly the longest serving Board of Supervisors member in the entire Commonwealth of Virginia. The idea presented to the board was to be a bronze plaque fixed to a granite pedestal that would be placed outside the Haberer Building where the meetings are held. However, the estimated cost for that undertaking came to $2,718. Rosser was notoriously fiscally conservative, says James Borland, who served with Rosser for a time. He doubted that Rosser would approve of spending such a large sum of money on such a memorial. The final decision was to consider a plaque instead, which is less expensive and also transportable, should the Board meeting location ever change.
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