Wireless tower in West Augusta, more solar plans, how to get legal notices: THE AGENDA
The only public meetings of consequence this week are Thursday's board of zoning appeals meeting in the middle of the day and three school board meetings.
On fall zone requirements and small scale solar
Augusta County Board of Zoning Appeals, 1:30 p.m. The agenda includes a public hearing on a request by Verizon Wireless for a Special Use permit to construct a 199-foot wireless telecommunications tower in West Augusta in the Pastures District, on property owned by Ray Hawpe Strickler and located at 85 Shenandoah Mountain Drive.
Stuart Squier, agent for Verizon Wireless in the above, is also requesting a Variance from the 110% "fall zone requirement" on the same property.
So what's a fall zone? Pretty much what you may first imagine when considering the construction of a 199-foot tower. So a 110% fall zone would mean space around the tower should be 218.9'.
The proposal shows that requirement is met on the front and side property lines. But only 50 feet separate the proposed structure from the back property line. Thus the application for the variance.
Staff recommends certain pre-conditions and operating conditions for the approval, including the appropriate Erosion and Sediment Control Plan and Stormwater Management Plan, and that the tower be 195 feet with a four foot lightning rod, and that the tower not be lighted.
Then comes a request by Esa Solar for a Special Use Permit "for the construction and operation of Fishersville Solar, a 2 Megawatt alternating current small scale solar facility" on property just east of Fishersville off Long Meadow road near its intersection with US 250 in the Wayne District.
"Small" and "big" solar is a topic of much discussion in the county and the cities here, especially in the last year. Every public hearing and every decision by local government show the evolution of this topic as a community united by its sense of stewardship with a traditionally rural way of life comes to terms with that stewardship and emerging new energy technologies. Esa Solar's not the only solar plan on the agenda, either.
School Board meetings
All three school boards meet between this Thursday and next Tuesday, Oct. 10. Augusta County is up first on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Augusta County Government Center. Here's the agenda. There will be an update on the middle schools being built in Riverheads and Buffalo Gap, and enrollment review and an update on the budget.
Staunton meets Monday, Oct. 9 at City Hall. It begins with a work session at 5 p.m. in the school board conference room on the second floor. The regular business meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the Rita S. Wilson Council Chambers on the first floor. Here's the agenda for that meeting.
Waynesboro meets the following night, 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at Wenonah Elementary School. No agenda is available for that meeting at time of publication.
On public hearings and legal notices
At the latest meeting of the Staunton Planning Commission, where the commission recommended approval of a Special Permit for the old Coca-Cola factory so the new owners could brew beer on site, a resident commented how the Legal Notices announcing public hearings were harder to find because there was "no local newspaper" in Staunton.
Actually, the Legal Notices are easier than ever to find.
And unlike the newspapers of old, you don't have to buy the newspaper to see them. These Notices are free to view.
From The News Leader's home page, choose "Legals" from the top menu (hint: it's right below and "a" and the "d" in "leader") and that takes you to the Public Notices page. You can search by keyword or date. You can also scroll down to browse the most recent notices.
And you can subscribe to receive a regular email that highlights the newest public notices. Just put your name in the black box and you will get a regular email whenever there are new notices.
These notices include trustees' sales of property, estate auctions, applications for liquor licenses as well as public hearings and other agency notices required by law.
Last Friday, the notice announcing the public hearing at Staunton City Council was published. On Oct. 12, at 7:00 p.m. City Council will host discussion of the rezoning of 709 N. Augusta Street from B-1, Local Business, to B-2, General Business. If you signed up for notifications, you'd already know.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Wireless tower in West Augusta, more solar plans, how to get legal notices: THE AGENDA
