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Planning commission initiates text amendment to permit certain noncommercial towers by special exception
Summary
Commission votes to direct staff to draft an ordinance providing a permitting path (by special exception) for non-cellular towers used by private businesses, ham radio operators and others, with conditions to limit height and proliferation.
At the Aug. 28, 2025 meeting, the Carolina County Planning Commission voted to initiate a text amendment to permit towers that are not commercial cellular facilities, creating a local pathway for entities that need on-site radio or communication towers. The commission instructed staff to prepare draft language and to frame the initiation as serving the public necessity, convenience, general welfare and good zoning practice.
Planning Director Leon Hughes said the county has a definition for ‘‘tower’’ in its ordinance but no enumerated allowance for towers that serve private businesses, fleet operators or ham-radio users. “We are looking for a mechanism for entities to have a tower that is not, for, you know, cell service,” Hughes said, noting the intent is to allow a permitting pathway without creating a by-right proliferation of tall structures.
Under staff’s approach, noncommercial towers would be permitted only by special exception, giving the commission the ability to impose site-specific conditions such as maximum height, required setbacks and other mitigation. Commissioners discussed the federal regulatory context but stressed that local ordinance language should give the county an explicit permitting mechanism and appropriate conditions. Hughes said the special-exception route would allow the commission to deny or condition very large towers.
The motion to authorize staff to draft the text amendment was moved by the chair and seconded by Commissioner Richard Williams; staff amended the motion to include a statement that the initiation is in the public’s interest — “the public necessity, convenience, general welfare, and good zoning practice require,” as read into the record — and the commission approved the initiation by voice vote.
Next steps: staff will draft the text amendment for consideration and return with language that would place noncommercial towers in the ordinance as a use-by-special-exception and include appropriate dimensional and operational conditions. The commission will consider the draft at a future meeting and schedule it for public hearing if ready.
