Planning Commission Postpones Vote On Herndon High Monopole

HERNDON, VA — The Fairfax County Planning Commission voted Wednesday, March 4, to postpone its decision on whether to approve an application to install a telecommunications monopole on the grounds of Herndon High School until later in the month.

Commissioner John Ulfelder (Dranesville) made the motion to postpone the vote until the Planning Commission's Wednesday, March 18 meeting to allow Fairfax County Public Schools an opportunity to address some of the concerns raised by Herndon residents about the monopole.

"We are pleased that the Planning Commission deferred the decision on the application for the Herndon cell tower, so they can take into account our petition and concerns about a private entity taking valuable and widely-used community and high school space to build a cell tower," said Tera Xeller, a parent of two Herndon High School students who has spoken out against the monopole. "This also gives time for parents and community members just learning about these plans to voice their concerns to the Planning Commission."

Milestone Communications originally presented its application to the Planning Commission at its Feb. 26 public hearing. Milestone is requesting an amendment to the governing proffers and a special exception to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan to allow it to install a 124-foot tall monopole and equipment compound on the north side of the Herndon High School football field. The facility would be located in an open area just west of the north side visitors bleachers, in between two stadium light poles, which are approximately 75-85 feet in height.

Sprint would be the initial carrier to use the monopole and compound, with up to four other carriers being able to use the facility in the future. The compound would be 35 feet by 91 feet in size, taking up roughly 3,185 square feet of space. It would also be surrounded by an 8 foot high chain link fence with slats.

Several members of the community, including Xeller, spoke in opposition to the monopole at the Feb. 26 public hearing. Among the materials she submitted to commissioners was a petition with about 340 signatures from Herndon residents opposing the monopole.

One of Xeller's main objections is that the application violates the Comprehensive Plan by taking away space dedicated to public use and replacing it with the monopole and compound.

"We use that space, not just at the high school, which we do, but the band uses it to stage for the main field," she said, in an interview. "Athletes use it to warm up, but also organizations like Herndon-Reston Youth Lacrosse use it for warmups before games. And you have girls all day Saturday and Sunday coming out there and boys to play games on that field and they're taking, 3,000 square feet of space that we use and are using it for a private, moneymaking company, for lack of a better word."

Xeller also expressed concern that the fenced compound was not setback sufficiently from the spectator bleachers and athletic fields, creating a potentially dangerous situation for spectators and athletes warming up nearby.

"You have kids throwing balls around there, they're going to go into the cell phone tower area," she said. "We don't want kids climbing there from a safety perspective. It has safety issues, wind on the tower, ice on a tower in a place that's heavily used by our children and centrally located on the grounds."

Tracy Themak, an attorney for Donahue & Stearns who presented Milestone's application at the Planning Commission, noted that her client was not required to look at setbacks for structures within the school property.

"We're required to look at distance from closest residential structure and the boundary line," Themak said. "We don't incorporate distances other than that. ... We don't have specific setbacks to the football field or the bleachers."

Although Xeller opposed the proposed placement of the monopole and compound, she did not necessarily oppose a monopole being installed at Herndon High School in a different location, provided it met all of the requirements.

"I would have to see where they are locating it at to see if it creates the same safety issue," she said. "Because safety is an issue as well. I can't say without them saying here's where we would put it. But if it doesn't create the safety issues, if it doesn't violate the Comprehensive Plan in terms of the application set forth, if it doesn't take up space that we use and have used, I would certainly look at it."

Fairfax County Public Schools already has 35 monopoles on school properties across the county, including administrative centers. Herndon Middle School has had a monopole since 2012.

Another objection Xeller presented at the Feb. 26 public hearing is that the School Board did not provide sufficient notice of the monopole application to Herndon High School parents.

"They did not solicit any input from us," she said. "The application was filed in 2018 and part of that application, they say they already had a lease with Fairfax County School Board. ... So how they formed a lease with a wireless company before engaging inputs from us according to their own policy is a little frustrating."

At the Feb. 26 public hearing, Ulfelder acknowledged that even though Milestone had met all of its notification requirements, a disconnect did exist between how information about the application was distributed to parents in the community.

Milestone was only required to notify residents who are in close proximity to the tower. The company was also required to notify the Herndon High School principal about the proposed installation of the monopole on school property, which it did. It was up to the principal to notify the faculty and the PTSA about the pending application.

Ulfleder said he attended one of the community meetings Milestone hosted about the application and some parents in attendance said they had not been notified by the school.

"We have reached out multiple times only to be put off, and then we finally got a response from the School Board 48 hours before the (Feb. 26) Planning Commission meeting after emailing them for a significant amount of time," Xeller said.