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BZA defers decision on unstealthing telecom tower after neighbors raise aesthetic concerns
Summary
The Board of Zoning Appeals deferred a request to remove a prior stealth construction condition from a telecommunications site at 2117 North Thompson Lane so the applicant can explore alternative antenna designs; neighbors and an HOA opposed visible antenna arrays near residential areas and Stones River National Battlefield.
The City of Murfreesboro Board of Zoning Appeals on May 28 deferred action on an application to remove a prior condition requiring "stealth" antenna construction at a telecommunications monopole located at 2117 North Thompson Lane. The deferral was intended to give the applicant time to present alternative designs that might reduce visual impact along Thompson Lane.
Staff said the tower originally received a stealth condition when the special use permit was approved in 1999 and that city practice and technology have changed since then. The site was modified in 2022 to reach a maximum height of 50 feet. The applicant, SBA Towers, asked to replace the upper portion of the stealth enclosure with a conventional antenna array to accommodate larger equipment and expanded capacity; staff said that unstealthing would allow carriers to increase the amount of equipment on the pole and thereby expand coverage and capacity.
SBA representatives said the existing stealth canister limits the size and number of antennas that carriers can deploy. "Inside the canister, it's limited," Deborah Mason of SBA told the board, explaining that larger antennas installed outside the canister would increase coverage and indoor service in nearby neighborhoods.
Several nearby residents and a homeowners association leader urged the board to keep the stealth requirement in place. Christina Lambert, who lives at 2160 North Thompson Lane, said of the tower as it exists today, "It's very nice. You don't think about it. It just looks like a pole," and asked the board to preserve the current appearance because children use the nearby playground. Murphy Thomas, president of the Riverbend subdivision HOA, called aesthetics the central concern and said the neighborhood would prefer coverage improvements that are less visually intrusive.
The Tennessee Historical Commission reviewed the proposal and advised staff that, while there are historic resources in the area, the commission did not find the change to the tower would adversely affect those resources. Staff recommended approval with updated conditions requiring site plan approval, building permits and compliance with chapter 31 notification and discontinuation rules, but also noted the board could retain stealthing if it wished.
Board members expressed differing views. Two members said they favored preserving stealth aesthetics and exploring alternate designs; two other members signaled support for the staff recommendation and the utility value of increased coverage. One member proposed a compromise: defer action for one month to allow the applicant to return with alternative designs that might strike a balance between coverage improvements and visual impact. The motion to defer passed on a 4–1 roll call (Halliburton voted no). The applicant agreed to the deferral and staff said the item would be expected back at the next meeting unless SBA requested more time.
The deferral leaves in place the tower’s existing permit and conditions while the applicant explores design alternatives or provides additional information to the board. If and when the board votes to remove the stealth condition, carriers may install larger external antennas that staff says would expand coverage and indoor service for parts of the neighborhood.
