Hearings for a telecommunications tower that could provide wireless coverage to the county and a private school for the Amish community are set to take place during Buckingham County’s Board of Supervisors meeting Monday at 6 p.m.

Applicant Beacon Towers VA, LLC, seeks to construct a 195-foot monopole telecommunications tower proposed to be located on approximately 94 acres at 13664 S. Constitution Route. The property is owned by Freddy Snoddy and is zoned as Agricultural-1.

“The proposed facility has been designed for U.S. Cellular and at least three of their competitors,” Jonathan Yates with Hellman, Yates and Tisdale representing Beacon Towers, said in an application narrative included in the meeting board packet.

Yates said that the board approved a 310-foot lattice communications tower for Verizon in 2008 on the property, but the project never went forward.

“The proposed facility will not require any public services from Buckingham County,” Yates said. “The proposed facility will receive power from Central Virginia Electric Co-op and telephone service from Embarq. The purpose of the proposed facility is to provide appropriate wireless infrastructure to the surrounding area which is deemed necessary by most Americans as approximately 50 (percent) of all homes in the United States are wireless only and approximately 80 (percent) of all 911 phone calls originate from a wireless device.”

Yates said the tower will be placed in a 60-foot by 60-foot chain link fenced compound, the fence reaching 6 feet high with three strands of barbed wire at the top.

Crew with the facility will plant 32 leyland cypress trees along the fence line.

If the permit is approved, Yates said Beacon will be able to construct the proposed facility in 45-60 days.

A second hearing will discuss a special use permit for a parochial school, a school operated by a religious organization.

Applicant Samuel Beiler is requesting to construct a school on approximately 47 acres in the area of Evans Mill Road. The property is currently zoned as Agricultural-1.

The proposed building will be a one-room schoolhouse with a fenced-in playground.

The proposed school would be operated Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and is expected to begin in the last week of August.

The property is owned by Gideon and Naomi Riehl.