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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-25 Withdrawal Lettera reola TOWERS Chairman John Jewell Supervisor Albert Orndorff Supervisor Jason C. Aikens Supervisor Robert W. Wells Supervisor Mike Guevremont Supervisor Robert Liero Supervisor Gary Oates 107 N Kent Street Winchester, VA 22601 May 1, 2026 Re: Arcola Towers proposed 140 ft. monopole-style wireless communications facility at 330 Lakeside Drive in Stephens City, Frederick County Dear Chairman Jewell, Supervisor Orndorff, Supervisor Aikens, Supervisor Wells, Supervisor Guevremont, Supervisor Liero, and Supervisor Oates, Arcofa Towers is extremely disappointed regarding the failure of our application for a 140-foot monopole-style wireless communications facility at 330 Lakeside Drive on the Frederick County Sanitation Authority property. We have been working since 2022 to develop a location to improve wireless coverage for the citizens of Frederick County in the Stephens City area. The need for this service improvement initiative was based on both citizen complaints and public safety concerns. Arcola has been transparent with the neighboring residents and utilized an inclusive process throughout, as evidenced by the community meeting held on June 6, 2024. Subsequent to this community meeting, we moved the proposed location from the self-storage facility at 741 Warrior Drive to the Frederick County Sanitation Authority facility at 330 Lakeside Drive at the request of a county supervisor. This move resulted in high costs to Arcola as well as a strain on our relationship with our client, T-Mobile. Despite our cooperation with the supervisor's request and best efforts to please all stakeholders, the Planning Commission would not recommend approval of the new location. Arcola Towers I P.O. Box 2150 I Middleburg, VA 20118 www.arcolatowers.com I info @arcolatowers.com Based on hundreds of wireless sites we have developed, 330 Lakeside Drive presented a perfect location as it is an industrially utilized property away from homes and well-shielded by trees. Most importantly, it would solve the wireless issues in the area. State Senator Timmy French was supportive of our proposal to improve connectivity and public safety in this part of Frederick County. Arcola has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and four years attempting to improve wireless infrastructure for the residents of Stephens City. Arcola has developed wireless facilities all over Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, North Carolina, and Florida. Frederick County is the only jurisdiction where we have failed to achieve zoning approval for one of our wireless facilities. Ultimately, the County's inaction, lack of concern for its citizens' needs, and leadership failure will have negative consequences for its citizens. Wireless carriers have limited funding and carefully choose which deficit areas to improve each year. Based on the lack of predictability of the planning process in Frederick County, wireless carriers will likely be reluctant to invest in Frederick County in the future. Your citizens deserve the same effective wireless infrastructure available to the citizens in all the other counties throughout the Commonwealth. Yon ytr~ly, ~~ Christian Winkler President Arcola Towers cc Timmy French -Virginia State Senator William Brown -Market Development Engineer at T-Mobile Eric Lawrence -Frederick Water Jonathan Yates -Hellman & Yates, PA 2