County gives preliminary guidance to negotiate lease for proposed Live Oak cell tower

Tillman Infrastructure told the Suwannee County Commission on Sept. 16 it wants to build a 150‑foot monopole and colocate three carriers on county property near West Eighth Street, and commissioners gave preliminary guidance to staff to negotiate lease terms and site conditions.

The pitch: Gary Freeman of All Pro Consulting Group, representing Tillman Infrastructure, presented propagation maps and said the site would fill a coverage gap in the west/southwest Live Oak area. Freeman said AT&T is the anchor tenant and the design is a 150‑foot monopole with a roughly 75‑foot fenced compound and a gravel access drive. He told the board the site would support up to three carriers initially, that carriers require on‑site backup generators, and that the company can coordinate FAA, FCC and local permitting.

Lease and negotiation: Freeman said the firm could offer a negotiable starting rent; the presentation included an example of $1,500 per month with an option period and renewal escalators. Several commissioners signaled they preferred a higher base and a different escalation schedule. “I would rather see something like $1,750 a month and a 3% annual CPI adjustment,” Commissioner Hale said at the meeting, and the board asked staff and the county attorney to take that guidance back into negotiations.

Other board requests and conditions: Commissioners asked staff to confirm whether a 500‑foot residential setback in city rules would have reciprocal limits on later residential construction (to avoid creating a de facto land use restriction on adjacent parcels). They asked that the site be set back slightly so any future county road or arena access would not be hindered, and that ingress and egress for fair/arena uses remain available. The commission asked the applicant to verify airport/FAA constraints and to work with county staff to avoid siting inside floodway or lands reserved for future county facilities.

Next steps: The commission gave staff and the county attorney direction on headline lease terms (board consensus to seek higher base rent and an annual CPI adjustment, and to require ingress/egress accommodations) but did not vote on a lease or a zoning approval. Staff will work with the applicant, the county attorney and the parks/recreation staff overseeing the parcel to produce a formal lease and development application for a future meeting. If the project proceeds, it will require federal (FAA/FCC) clearances and local entitlement and permitting.