Gadsden council approves special-use permit for Vertical Bridge telecom facility at Eastview Drive
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Summary
The Gadsden City Council adopted a resolution approving a special-use permit for a new wireless telecommunications facility at 1202 Eastview Drive, citing federal limits on local denials based on health concerns and federal lighting standards; the measure passed with one abstention.
The Gadsden City Council voted to adopt a resolution authorizing a special-use permit for Vertical Bridge LLC to construct a wireless telecommunications facility at 1202 Eastview Drive and to allow installation of AT&T equipment on the tower.
Council members said federal law constrains the city’s ability to deny such requests on the basis of perceived health effects from radio-frequency emissions. “The federal government has said that no city can refuse the building of a radio tower based on the perceived health impacts of these radio waves,” Councilman Wilson said, urging approval on legal grounds.
The council discussed lighting and marking requirements. Councilman Wilson and Councilman Robinson cited Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) guidelines that determine when towers require lighting; they said this new, shorter tower will be below the FAA threshold that typically requires strobe or obstruction lighting. “Because of the modern nature of this particular new tower, it will be below that flight deck, so to speak. It’ll be below 200 feet, which means they are not required to be lighted,” Wilson said.
Council members also referenced concerns raised at a prior public hearing; those speakers were not present in this transcript. Councilman Smith noted the council “has no knowledge of anyone with any health issues related to the tower.” The record shows the council moved to adopt the resolution, and the motion carried with one abstention. The transcript does not record which member abstained.
Why it matters: The city’s decision removes a remaining local obstacle to the proposed move and equipment installation at the Eastview Drive site while signaling the council’s intent to enforce applicable federal lighting and marking rules.
What the council decided: The resolution authorizes the special-use permit for Vertical Bridge LLC and the installation of AT&T equipment at 1202 Eastview Drive. The council directed staff to enforce FAA and FCC lighting and marking guidelines as required by law.
No ordinance, statute number, or specific local code citation was provided in the discussion; council members repeatedly cited general federal preemption and FAA/FCC guidelines as the legal constraints informing the vote. The transcript records a motion to adopt, a second, and passage with one abstention.
