Members of the Cumberland County Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a canopy for a gas station at the developing Raman Midway Market and county zoning amendments to communication antennas and towers.

The votes took place during Monday’s commission meeting.

Planning and Zoning Director J.P. Duncan said that other items discussed during the meeting, including policy related to setbacks and road frontages and possible code amendments to festivals, were tabled.

The zoning amendments for communications antennas and towers was previously discussed during the commission’s November meeting. The Code of Virginia recently made amendments concerning zoning for wireless communications infrastructures. Duncan said there was the potential to make amendments to Cumberland County’s zoning policies on these infrastructures to comply with the Code of Virginia. Duncan encouraged the amendments, contending during the November meeting that some of the existing county policies may not be conducive or necessary for cellular towers in the present day, including that the county require a bond or letter of credit from the applicant for demolition or site restoration costs.

“These cell towers, when they first started out, it was more of a luxury,” Duncan said. “Now it’s a necessity. So I don’t see them going anywhere. I don’t see them causing grave harm. So, to me it’s just not necessary.”

The canopy approved for Raman Midway Market at 3156 Cumberland Road would be situated above the gas pumps, acting as the roof for the gas station area and replacing the existing canopy.

The new canopy would be approximately 24×36 feet. The existing canopy is 15×20 feet.

Gary Singh, who is developing Raman Midway Market with owner and wife Pilvinder Kaur, said in a previous interview there are set to be two new gas pumps installed that can service up to four vehicles. He said the gas is provided by Marathon.