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Aviation board questions lighting and safety after new tower application near Citrus Springs
Summary
Board members discussed an unlit tower application near Citrus Springs, where the FAA determined lighting not required; members expressed safety concerns and asked staff to inquire whether the applicant will add lighting voluntarily.
Members of the Citrus County Aviation Advisory Board discussed a private tower application east of Citrus Springs and raised safety concerns after staff reported the Federal Aviation Administration determined lighting is not required for the proposed structure.
Board members reviewed the applicant’s submitted map and location. The proposed site appeared to be near residential properties; one board member noted an address near the tower location and observed that the site “looks like it's near someone's home.” Members also observed that the tower’s top elevation was described as roughly 303 feet above sea level and that the FAA had indicated the structure would not require lighting.
The board agreed that lighting, while not required by the FAA, could improve aviation and neighborhood safety. Heiko Kallenbach, chair, said the FAA’s determination that lighting is not required “is not the same thing as saying that lighting would not be in the best interest of aviation safety.” The board asked staff to inquire whether American Towers LLC (the applicant named in meeting discussion) plans to install lighting voluntarily.
Why it matters: A tower sited near low-altitude flight paths, neighborhoods or developing areas can pose a hazard to small aircraft and complicate emergency approaches; lighting is a primary mitigation for visibility.
Ending: Staff said they will follow up with the applicant and FAA guidance and report back to the board with any voluntary lighting commitments or further FAA rationale.
