By NATALIE HOLTON
Washington County is one step closer to receiving a new cell tower off Highway 77, near an intersection located at Carter Circle. The proposal comes from Vertical Bridge and property owner Glenda Sue Hooper.
The tower will be under AT&T with 5G service not being a proposed service for the tower. The structure will be approximately 285 ft. including a lightning rod. This height was cleared by the Federal Aviation Association (FAA), saying there is no hazard to air traffic. As FAA law states, the structure must be lit artificially for warning purposes.
Neighboring residents had concerns over the noise and how the tower may affect their property values. Vertical Bridges representative, Mike Nix addressed these concerns in an email to the county that was read at the August 5 meeting.
“Normally cell towers do not affect values being they are very common in this day. Conversely, some property values may decrease if there is no connectivity at the location. Many people rely on connectivity for work, entertainment, etcetera,” said the email. “Based on the location, there will not be any noise level with surrounding property owners. The only noise would be from the backup generator if power is out in the area, a level 2 sound enclosure for the generator and with the heavy tree coverage I doubt anyone would hear.”
The project still must be presented to the Washington County Board of County Commissioners for their approval. This is scheduled to be discussed on August 15 at 9 am.
GARRETT VALCOURT 
Staff Report