Delegate’s Company To Build

A company owned by Calvert County Delegate Mark Fisher (R-27C) plans to build more than 60 new cellular service towers across St. Mary’s County, beginning with a proposed site off New Market Turner Road in Mechanicsville. Telecom Capital Group (TCG), Fisher’s company, has identified a 4.4-acre parcel across from Cremona Farms for a 199-foot monopole structure. Known as the Drift Inn Communications Tower, the project would be located nearly 1,000 feet off New Market Turner Road.

Fisher appeared at the St. Mary’s County Board of Appeals (BOA) on June 26 alongside TCG’s agent, Tracey Themack, who described plans for a 42-by-60-foot compound enclosed by an eight-foot chain link fence topped with barbed wire at the tower’s base. Verizon is slated to install equipment at the 190-foot mark, with additional leasing space available at the 180-, 170-, and 160-foot levels for other providers. Site plans also include five ground pads for generators and other equipment.

Themack explained that tower placement is driven primarily by service issues and customer complaints. “No infrastructure provider is coming forward,” she said, unless the lead carrier—Verizon—identifies a coverage problem. Site selection depends on multiple factors, including complaint data, available land, and a willing property owner. A nearby tower located two miles away is reportedly inadequate, and the proposed structure would help close service gaps and balance usage loads. It could also expand access to increasingly popular wireless home internet services.

TCG already has more than 40 existing towers across St. Mary’s County, a number that will grow to over 100 in coming years according to their plans. Fisher noted that growing demand for data-heavy applications like video calls and streaming has overwhelmed existing infrastructure. As wireless technology has advanced from 1G to 5G, the coverage radius for each tower has decreased from about seven miles to just 1.5 miles—requiring significantly more towers to meet demand.

However, this is not the first time TCG has sought approval for a tower in this area. In March 2024, the BOA denied TCG’s request for conditional use approval for a similar project on a nearby parcel. That vote, 4-1, came after eight neighboring property owners testified against the project, raising concerns about visibility, property values, stormwater runoff, and potential health impacts. The BOA concluded that the proposed tower “would be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other properties.”

St. Mary’s County Commissioner Mike Alderson (R-District 3) wrote a letter of support for the 2024 location, saying the additional coverage would help boaters on the Patuxent River.

Despite that earlier denial, Fisher told the BOA on June 26 that the project has been relocated slightly down the road. The new site is owned by former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who served during the first Trump administration. Although Adams does not reside on the property, a home remains on site, which previously belonged to his parents.

Access to the tower site is a point of contention. It shares a common driveway with two other parcels. One of those—a two-acre lot fronting New Market Turner Road—was recently purchased by Dogwood Development LLC, which intends to build a home. Fisher indicated the LLC plans to oppose the tower through attorney Chris Longmore, who was present at the meeting. Longmore had earlier represented another project, Pembrooke Townhomes, on the same agenda. According to Fisher, the Adams property includes a 50-foot-wide deeded easement from New Market Turner Road. If access is denied via the shared driveway, the only alternative would be to clear-cut the forested easement, he said.

Board members also questioned whether the plan complies with the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, which requires the tower to be set back at least its full height from any existing structure. Themack and Fisher said the existing home, located 214 feet away, meets that requirement. When asked about several sheds on the property, Themack said they were slated for demolition. The submitted concept plan, however, indicates that four outbuildings would remain—two of which fall within the required 199-foot setback.

Another concern raised was the potential for the tower to collapse onto adjacent property. Themack responded that an engineering report shows the tower is designed to collapse inward, remaining within the fenced compound in the unlikely event of structural failure, for example, caused by a tornado.

The meeting will continue on July 24th, at 6:30pm. Public comment will be accepted in person at 41770 Baldridge St, in Leonardtown. Those unable to attend can send comments to sherrie.young@stmaryscountymd.gov

Drift Inn Comms Tower

Follow Up: Evergreen Disposal