The Miami County Planning Commission voted 8-0 Oct. 7 to approve a renewal and modification of the conditional use permit (CUP) for the Drexel Corner AT&T guide tower, an existing communications facility.

Planning staff told the commission the tower, which was originally approved decades ago, falls outside administrative permitting thresholds because it is a guyed tower with a height of about 300 feet and ground equipment outside of an enclosed building. Staff noted that recent state or federal guidance requires a minimum review interval of 10 years for communications facilities and that, in practice, the county has moved away from automatic expirations for long-standing utility-like facilities such as towers. Staff recommended removing an expiration or short periodic-review requirement and instead keeping specific compliance conditions, including a new condition that the site be kept free of noxious weeds and debris.

Jeff Raley, the property owner of the leased site, told the commission he has kept screening along the highway and has cleared trees near the tower; he said he did not realize the matter was on the agenda but expressed willingness to work with the applicant and county staff. The applicant for the tower was not present.

Staff reported no complaints about the facility and said ground equipment is set back and difficult to see from public roads. Commissioners approved staff's recommendation to renew the CUP with modified conditions; the motion passed 8-0.

The renewed CUP keeps operational compliance conditions in place and removes a short fixed-term review cycle in favor of continued condition compliance and administrative follow-up if complaints or compliance issues arise.