Peoria planners briefed on federal limits and local options for wireless communication facilities

Peoria Planning and Zoning Commission members on Oct. 2, 2025 received a study-session presentation on city review of wireless communication facilities, including macro sites and small cells, applicable federal and state preemptions, time limits for review ("shot clocks") and design approaches the city is using to limit visual impacts.

City planner Cody Gleason, who led the presentation, told commissioners that while the zoning code regulates wireless facilities on private property, several state and federal orders narrow the city's authority. He described the federal framework dating to the Communications Act of 1934 and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and summarized key Federal Communications Commission actions that constrain what local governments can consider during review. "Ultimately, all that means is a cell tower," Gleason said when defining a wireless communication facility.

Gleason explained distinctions staff uses in the code: macro sites (larger tower infrastructure) versus small cells (lower-profile equipment that adds capacity locally), and facilities placed within the right-of-way versus those on private property. He said the city has more direct design leverage over…