Vienna's Town Council voted unanimously Monday, Aug. 24, to allow AT&T to add a rooftop cell tower at 527 Maple Ave. East, clearing the way for improved wireless coverage along the Maple Avenue corridor and at James Madison High School, Cunningham Park Elementary School and several area parks.
No residents spoke against the project at the public hearing. Two testified in favor.
The approval caps a process that AT&T legal counsel Doug Sampson said has been underway "for more than a decade." Town staff also told the council they will return within 30 days with draft zoning language that could treat future wireless projects closer to "by right" applications, reducing the review burden that has slowed tower construction across Vienna's 4.4 square miles.
What the council actually voted on
Under state law, localities cannot require a conditional use permit for telecommunications facilities. So the council's vote was narrower: whether to grant a height variance allowing AT&T's screening walls to exceed the town's 9-foot rooftop limit. The western screen wall will stand 8 inches above that cap; the north wall, 22 inches above it.
The new equipment will not exceed the height of existing T-Mobile and Verizon structures already on the same roof, meaning no net increase to the building's total rooftop profile, according to FFXnow.
The Vienna Planning Commission recommended approval 6-0 in June, with Commissioner Plowgian making the motion.
Coverage gaps drove the push
Peggy James, executive director of the Vienna Business Association, told the council her organization has fielded constant complaints about wireless service across all carriers, not just AT&T.
Dead zones have plagued Mill Street NE, Dominion Road NE, the Northside property yard at 600 Mill St. and the area near Navy Federal Credit Union's headquarters on Follin Lane SE, according to earlier FFXnow reporting.
AT&T regional director of external affairs Garrett McGuire told the council at a May 11 work session that it takes 12 to 18 months on average to build a tower through zoning, permitting, fiber and electricity hookup, and that Vienna's Board of Architectural Review process had been a barrier.
Broader policy shift ahead
The zoning amendment staff will draft would bring Vienna closer to compliance with state law. At the same May work session, town staff noted that Vienna's current conditional use permit requirement for sub-50-foot facilities is likely inconsistent with state code requiring administrative approval at that height. Vienna's maximum antenna heights are the lowest among local jurisdictions surveyed.
The state legislature reinforced that direction this year: HB 277, sponsored by Del. Holly Siebold, whose district includes Vienna, limits localities' ability to reject wireless applications. It passed the state Senate unanimously and the House of Delegates 90-7.
"I think this is a minimal adjustment. I welcome the day when we don't have to deal with these minimal adjustments like this," Councilmember Chuck Anderson said.
The facility will also support FirstNet, the first responder communications network.
Town staff are expected to present draft zoning language by late September, according to planning staff comments at the June Planning Commission meeting. A Town Council work session is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 21.
