Subject:
Title
Improving Wireless Coverage in Vienna - Third Work Session
Body
Purpose:
Review Draft New Zoning Regulations and Comprehensive Plan Language Related to wireless Facilities in Vienna.
Key QUESTIONS:
Key questions for the Town Council to consider are:
1) Does the Town Council support the approach presented for regulating wireless facilities in Vienna?
2) For the purposes of releasing draft regulations for public comments, do the proposed regulations sufficiently balance the Town Council’s traditional desire to improve mobile coverage with neighborhood protections and community aesthetics?
3) Does the Town Council support the proposed new language for the Comprehensive Plan?
BACKGROUND SUMMARY:
On February 2, 2026, the Town Council approved a set of five priorities for calendar year 2026. The first priority listed was stated as follows:
1. Mobile Phone Coverage
Explore options for locations, providers and zoning issues to improve mobile phone coverage in Vienna.
Since that priority was established, staff have focused on this matter, building on work begun as a team led by the Department of Planning and Zoning and the Department of Economic Development in 2025.
On May 11, 2026, the Town Council held its first work session on this topic. During that work session, staff placed some questions before the Town Council, as part of the presentation and discussion. Also participating in the work session, and bringing their perspectives, were representatives of two of the major carriers (T-Mobile and AT&T) and of one company (Milestone) that develops towers on which carriers attach their antennas.
The questions at the work session addressed whether the Town Council wished to:
§ Amend the code to permit administrative-eligible applications (according to the State) to be reviewed administratively, and all other provisions of Code of Virginia Article 7.2.
§ Reconsider height limits for installations and locations for those height limits.
§ Consider whether to make Town-owned land available for wireless infrastructure.
§ Consider the role of the Board of Architectural Review in the process.
The Council’s response was yes to the first three questions. Regarding the role of the BAR, no clear guidance was developed or provided. Nonetheless, some Town Council members indicated continued support for the BAR’s role in at least some of the wireless facility review processes.
Staff followed up by working on all areas discussed on May 11th. That work generated a set of policy-oriented questions that established the framework for a second work session, which was held on July 6, 2026.
On July 6th, the Town Council provided the following guidance:
• Staff should provide draft language for the in-review Planning Commission draft Comprehensive Plan that is more encouraging of developing wireless facilities in Vienna than prior Comprehensive Plans.
• The Town Council would like to review draft zoning language that would allow and regulate development of towers for deployment of cell-phone antennas; and the Town Council is willing to consider maximum heights in the range of 120-150 feet.
• The Town Council is prepared to review zoning language that makes deployments of wireless infrastructure of 50 feet or less in height to be managed Administratively (by staff, in accordance with adopted zoning regulations) rather than conditional (requiring a CUP and approval of the Board of Zoning Appeals). The Town Council also strongly supported staff drafting amendments that make the Town’s zoning regulations conform to State requirements.
• The Town Council did not provide clear guidance regarding the role of the Board or Architectural Review (BAR) for various categories of wireless infrastructure, though staff recommended that, at minimum, BAR be involved in any deployment that is more than 50 feet.
OVERVIEW:
On September 14, 2026, the Town Council will have the opportunity to review draft zoning regulations for wireless facilities, which are presented as Attachment 01, and draft new language for the Comprehensive Plan, which is provided as Attachment 02.
Zoning Regulations
Staff have developed a whole new section of the Town code for regulating wireless facilities. It was drafted by a staff team in the Department of Planning and Zoning based on Town Council’s guidance; reviewing codes of other jurisdictions in northern Virginia and elsewhere, including those forwarded by Council Members; the Code of Virginia, especially Article 7.2 - Zoning for Wireless Communications Infrastructure (Attachment 3); and learning about operational needs for successful coverage. The Town Attorney review the draft and provided comments, which resulted in changes and the draft you see before you.
Key components of the draft regulations include:
• Treating all wireless facilities of 50 feet or less in height as Administrative/Permitted, rather than Conditional. It presents a set of regulations that, if followed by the applicant, the staff can use to approve the project. In the existing code, all wireless facilities are treated as Conditional uses, meaning that all applications must be considered by the Planning Commission for a recommendation and then the Board of Zoning Appeals for a decision.
• Establishing a maximum height for ground-mounted and tower wireless facilities of 150 feet but establishes clear criteria for when they may be deployed, thereby limiting the locations where they could be deployed. A key provision is that there would be a required setback from any neighboring property of a minimum of 125% of the tower’s height. (As an example, a 100-foot tower would need to be at least 125 feet from all neighboring properties.)
• Prohibiting deployment of a tower on any site where the only allowable use is single-family detached homes but provides an opportunity (on a conditional basis) for deployment on large residentially zoned sites where there is a conditional use permit in place for an institutional use.
• Maintaining BAR participation in all applications for wireless facilities that are not in the right-of-way, as is currently the case.
o If the Town Council wishes to continue this approach, staff propose that a project be initiated with the BAR to develop a set of standards and options for administrative (staff) approval of BAR applications. The BAR and staff developed a set of standards of this nature regarding outdoor dining.
• Accommodating a temporary wireless facility, including support structure, of up to 80 feet in height (pursuant to the Virginia code), subject to the approval of the Town Manager.
• Ensuring that all requirements of the Virginia code are met.
At the work session, the Town Council will have the opportunity to review the draft regulations, which have been reviewed by the Town Attorney, and provide comments and edits.
For your reference, Attachment 03 provides the Town Council with Article 7.2 of the Code of Virginia - Zoning for Wireless Communications Infrastructure. Article 7.2 may also be found online at <https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title15.2/chapter22/article7.2/>.
Comprehensive Plan Language for Wireless Facilities
Attachment 02 provides staff’s draft language for the Comprehensive Plan, based on staff’s understanding of the Town Council’s priorities. There are two components to the language, all of which would be in Chapter 6: Community Facilities and Infrastructure.
As described in Attachment 02, the first component is language that would be inserted on the current p. 132 of Planning Commission’s draft plan, as a new section placed before “Other Utilities.” The current draft language on that page would be deleted.
The second component is a new policy and set of strategies associated with that policy. It would replace Policy 3.3 and its strategies, which can be found on p. 138 of the draft plan.
SUMMARY/STAFF IMPRESSIONS:
Staff look forward to the Town Council’s guidance on the draft zoning regulations and draft Comprehensive Plan language.
After the Town Council’s review and guidance on the draft zoning regulations, staff will incorporate all the Council’s guidance into an updated draft, to be reviewed by the Town Attorney, and return to a Town Council meeting for the Council’s authorization to start the formal process of amending the code. The first step in that process would be to refer the proposal to the Planning Commission for its review, public hearing and recommendation.
Once the Planning Commission has completed its recommendation, the Town Council will then be able to hold its public hearing and make final decisions regarding the proposed amendments.
Once the Town Council provides guidance on the heights and other regulations with which it is comfortable, staff will also begin work with the Town Attorney to formulate a recommended approach regarding how to make Town-owned property available for a public offering for development of wireless infrastructure, in accordance with the Town Council’s guidance from its July 6, 2026, work session.
The Council input received on the draft Comprehensive Plan language will be incorporated into the draft update to the Comprehensive Plan, which will be discussed during the upcoming agenda item on that topic.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
Staff recommend that the Town Council review the draft code and as presented in Attachment 01 and the draft Comprehensive Plan language as presented in Attachment 02 and give guidance to staff on any changes it wishes to make.
Attachments:
01 - Draft amendments to zoning regulations related to Wireless Facilities.
02 - Draft 2026 Comprehensive Plan Revised Wireless Text - for TC review
03 - Code of Virginia - Article 7.2. Zoning for Wireless Communications Infrastructure
04 - Presentation