Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 16, 1993 TAG: 9302160145
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
PLANNERS WANT TOWER PREVIEW
Roanoke County's commitment to preserving views along the Blue Ridge Parkway could be tested by a proposal to build a cellular telephone tower atop Buck Mountain.Cellular One wants to build a 120-foot tower to improve reception for its subscribers in Southwest Roanoke County.
But county planners are concerned because the tower could clutter the view for motorists on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which skirts the northern edge of Buck Mountain.
As a result, planners have asked the cellular company to conduct a demonstration when the Roanoke County Planning Commission views the site next month.
Cellular One will deploy a balloon tethered to a 120-foot line from Buck Mountain to allow planners to see for themselves what impact a tower would have.
The zoning request comes at a time when Roanoke County is studying ways to preserve mountain vistas along the Blue Ridge Parkway, the county's top tourist draw. A committee is trying to come up with regulations that satisfy real estate developers, parkway officials and preservationists.
The parkway's scenic beauty also is threatened around Asheville, N.C., where retirees are settling along the parkway corridor. Roanoke and Asheville are the only two metropolitan areas located along the 470-mile scenic highway.
The Cellular One tower would be on the top of Buck Mountain, some 400 feet above the parkway.
Company officials say it is possible that many parkway visitors would pass by Buck Mountain without noticing the tower because of the area's topography.
"I don't know if you'll be able to see it or not," said Scott Basham, technical manager for Cellular One.
Planning Commission members will find out for sure when Cellular One raises the balloon on March 2. The commission will act on the company's request for a special use permit and forward a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors, which has the final say.
Cellular One also is asking the Roanoke County Board of Zoning Appeals to approve three variances - a reduction in minimum lot size from 1.5 acres to .13 acres; elimination of required road frontage; and waiver of setback requirements of 110 percent of the tower's height. That board has scheduled a public hearing for Wednesday.