Council approves AT&T monopine and 23-foot variance for Ladner Road cell tower

The Gautier City Council on Aug. 19 voted to approve a special exception and a 23-foot variance allowing a proposed AT&T monopine telecommunications tower at Ladner Road. Grant Charlton, representing AT&T and counsel from Baker Donelson, asked the council to grant the special exception and said the carrier was "not aware of any objections from the community." The council then approved the planning commission's recommendation for the special exception and later approved a variance from the city rule requiring the tower to be set back from the nearest residence by a distance equal to the pole height plus 30 feet. AT&T's application described a 127-foot tower; the ordinance requires a height-plus-30 setback, which in this case would be 150 feet, so the applicant sought a 23-foot variance. Planning staff said the monopole design includes an interior cable system and folding behavior intended to limit lateral fall if the structure were ever compromised; the planning director described the design as engineered to reduce the collapse radius. Grant Charlton told the council the engineering discussion is documented in the applicant packet and that an engineering firm had described the interior-cable system that would cause the pole to collapse in a controlled manner. Council members pressed for landscaping, buffers and assurances that the tower would improve service in problem areas. Councilman George and others cited dead zones near Gochee Elementary School and along Highway 90; Councilman George said the tower would "really improve that area." The AT&T representative said the tower would provide additional capacity in the identified service area and that nearby towers could use the pole to increase service. Council members requested follow-up from AT&T's engineers about the precise coverage map for school and park areas. Formal council action consisted of two motions: one to accept the planning commission's recommendation to grant the special exception (motion by Councilman Jackson, second by Councilman Minor; motion carried), and one to approve the 23-foot variance from the distance requirement (motion by Councilman Minor, second by Councilman Jackson; motion carried). The council record shows the motions passed without recorded dissent. Council members asked staff to ensure landscaping and buffer requirements reflected the representations in AT&T's application; the council did not add additional conditions beyond verifying that the applicant complies with the submitted plans and the city's landscaping/buffering standards. The approvals allow AT&T to proceed to final permitting and construction review; the council did not adopt local code changes. Engineering documentation and the planning commission record remain part of the public packet for future review.