Can you hear me now?

Orange County residents along Route 20 could have improved wireless service by early 2011, as the board of supervisors approved a special use permit to place a wireless tower on the grounds of Montpelier. Community Wireless Structures plans to begin constructing the tower, which will be disguised as a pine tree, in November and finish in time for Christmas.
The approved tower will stand 140 feet tall and then include an additional five-foot lightning rod, and be placed in an area of forest with an average tree height of 120 feet. Measures will be taken by Community Wireless Structures to ensure the so-called mono-pine can not be seen from the mansion.
"The tower will not only benefit Montpelier, but those that live in the vicinity of Montpelier," said Debbie Kendall, interim planning director.
Both the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which owns the land, and the Montpelier Foundation, which manages the property, supported the tower. Michael Quinn, president of the foundation, spoke enthusiastically of the opportunities such a tower might provide.
"This technology will improve our ability to tell stories of Montpelier's rich history," he said. "This could enable us to develop new ways of educating visitors about what they're experiencing."
District 2 Supervisor Zack Burkett initially took exception with placing the tower on what he called "hallowed ground," but Quinn believes the grounds of Montpelier is actually the ideal location.
"Montpelier is 3,000 acres large," he said. "Such a large amount of land provided us with many options for where to place a tower."
Thomas Murray of Community Wires Structures said the company had explored one other location in the county, a farm not far from Montpelier, where the elevation was higher, but a deal could not be reached with the landowner.
Montpelier will not be the first historic Virginian estate to host a wireless structure, as George Washington's Mt. Vernon has hosted a similar mono-pine structure on its property for more than 15 years. Quinn worked at Mt. Vernon when the tower was constructed and said there were no complaints from visitors.
"`There were very few instances where people would recognize it as a fake tree, let alone people complaining about its appearance," he said.
There was one dissenting voice from the community at Tuesday's public hearing, as Steve Yelton, who previously spoke out against the tower at the Orange County Planning Commission's meeting in August, appeared once again in objection to the structure.
"I think this is a bad idea that sets a bad precedent," he said. "What's to stop us from putting a tower on the Wilderness Battlefield or on Monticello?"
Supervisors Burkett, Teel Goodwin and Lee Frame noted what they perceived as hypocrisy from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, citing the pending lawsuit between the board of supervisors and the Friends of the Wilderness Battlefield. The National Trust originally was a party to the suit until a judge rule they lacked standing in the case.
"It doesn't jive with a fair or equivalent approach to what's happening at the other end of the county," said Frame.
After an initial motion to defer a vote failed 2-3, the motion passed unanimously, with Frame adding that he will vote consistently with his vote for a Wal-Mart on Route 3.
District 1 Supervisor Shannon Abbs made no secret of her support for the tower, as she said its proposed coverage would impact both her and many of her constituents.
"Cell phones are now a utility," she said. "Like the railroad once was."