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permit application, the applicant prove that the use <br />will maintain or enhance the value of contiguous <br />property (unless the use is a public necessity, in which <br />case the use need not maintain or enhance the value of <br />contiguous property). The Board finds that the <br />applicant, American Towers, has not met this <br />requirement. <br />The Board heard testimony from American Towers on this <br />issue. American Towers presented the testimony of two <br />witnesses on valuation. One was a certified real estate <br />appraiser; the other a real estate valuation specialist. <br />Both testified that, in their opinion, the tower would <br />have no impact on the value of contiguous property. <br />These opinions were based on separate studies. The real <br />estate appraiser, Winston T. Morgan, compared the <br />Greenfield Road neighborhood to the Turkey Run <br />subdivision. Mr. Morgan testified that there had been <br />no decrease in value of the homes in the Turkey Run <br />subdivision, which has three towers near it. [Record, 2- <br />12. The real estate valuation specialist, Joseph <br />Smathers, Jr., compared a neighborhood with towers, <br />Wildwood Subdivision, to one without, Cornwallis Hills <br />Subdivision. Mr. Smathers concluded that the existence <br />of telecommunications towers in close proximity to <br />Wildwood had a minimal negative effect on the value of <br />the homes in the Wildwood neighborhood. [Record, <br />Smathers Report, Conclusions.] He stated, at the <br />hearing, that studies conducted by him have indicated <br />that a tower structure does not "generally impact on the <br />property values of surrounding property." [Record, 5-10. <br />Emphasis added.] <br />The Board also heard evidence from landowners on the <br />issue of valuation. These citizens offered testimony to <br />point out weaknesses in the methods and conclusions of <br />both Morgan and Smathers. The Board heard evidence at <br />its meeting on November 17th, 1998 that Morgan was <br />_ trying to compare incomparable neighborhoods. Russ <br />Townsley testified that the comparison of these two <br />neighborhoods was inappropriate because Greenfield Road <br />currently has no nearby telecommunications towers nor <br />any above ground utility wires, while Turkey Run was <br />constructed after the location of the nearby towers. <br />Thus, he stated, there would not be a period in the life <br />of the Turkey Run subdivision pre-tower to compare to <br />Greenfield Road. [Record, 2-8.] <br />9 <br />