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| A sign at the entrance to the Parklawn Pool advertises a Board of Supervisors hearing on the cell tower. |
After the Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals rejected an application for a special permit exception to allow a cell tower on property owned by the Parklawn Pool, people who live closed to the proposed site breathed a huge sigh of relief. At the time, it seemed the cell tower proposal was dead, although there was a possibility it could resurface.
The BZA considered whether the special exception already approved for the pool should be amended to allow another use, the cell tower, on the pool property.
An official in the Fairfax County Department of Planning andZoning said all three bodies need to support the project before it can go forward. The only way for AT&T to appeal the Board of Zoning Appeals ruling is to take it to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. In 2012, that court upheld the right of residents of the Fort Hunt area of Fairfax County who opposed a cell tower.
In general, during numerous meetings and hearings, members of the Parklawn Recreation Associationsaid the cell tower is needed because there is poor phone coverage in the area and that is a safety issue. Opponents expressed concerns about the tower being an eyesore and hurting property values, while disputing the lack of coverage. Revenue from the tower would support the PRA. Both sides are mobilizing their forces to influence the Board of Supervisors.