This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

MVCCA Reviews Williamsburg Model For Cell Phone Tower Infrastructure

Attendees hope to reach a consensus about what kind of infrastructure is needed

Mount Vernon residents continued to review options for construction of cell phone infrastructure in their neighborhood at Monday night’s meeting of the Mount Vernon Council of Citizens’ Associations’ Planning and Zoning Committee’s Subcommittee for Telecommunications Facilities.

Douglas Marty, Director of Information Technology at Colonial Williamsburg, spoke to the group about solutions he helped devise to hide cell phone towers and other infrastructure on the historically protected property. 

Mount Vernon citizens have that the encroachment of cell phone poles into residential neighborhoods will lower their property values and blight the landscape.  In response, subcommittee members are working to find to tall poles and towers, and to prepare themselves for meetings with cell phone carriers such as AT&T and Verizon.

Find out what's happening in Greater Alexandriawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Marty was invited to speak because Colonial Williamsburg was seen as a model for construction of less obtrusive cell phone equipment, because all of the property’s utility cables are buried, and antenna lines are hidden in buildings.

Marty said the decisions made in Colonial Williamsburg were business driven.  At least a million tourists visit the property each year—many of them attending conventions at the site’s four hotels.  Visitor complaints about being unable to use “smart phones,” such as the BlackBerry, threatened income, forcing Colonial Williamsburg to get serious about providing adequate cell phone service

Find out what's happening in Greater Alexandriawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 “Our job was to get cell phone use with minimum intrusion on the property,” Marty said.  “When you start going into residential areas, the case for business becomes less of an issue.” 

As cell phones provide more services—including video streaming and advanced internet capabilities—they require more broadband coverage. Broadband coverage, in turn, requires more poles, towers, or capsules to enclose phone carriers’ antenna. 

At the same time, cell phone use is increasing as land line use declines, leaving neighborhoods complaining about poor cell phone service at home, while others insist they don’t want the poles and towers on or near their property. 

Attendees weighed in during Marty’s presentation. 

“The message I’m taking away from all this is that we have to customize what we need,” said Mount Vernon resident Eleanor Quigley.  “That’s what makes this very problematic and also an opportunity.” 

“We can’t have everything,” another said, making the point that some unattractive infrastructure will be necessary.

Marty agreed.  “You can’t let perfect give away the good.” 

Marty also pointed out that rapid technological changes in cell phone and computer technology will continue as citizens try to decide what is best for their community now.

Fairfax County Planning Commissioner Kenneth Lawrence of Providence, said the number of solutions has to be finite. 

“If we can reach a consensus about what we want, than we can competently deal with (tower builders).  From our point of view, what we want as end-users is for these things to work, so we need to have something to say about what we can’t tolerate from the visual point of view.”

About 18 people from Mount Vernon and neighboring areas attended the meeting.  The subcommittee meets on the fourth Monday of every month.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Greater Alexandria