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Council authorizes auction of easement for proposed Verizon cell tower near Hammond Creek School
Summary
Dalton City Council approved a resolution to offer a temporary, nonexclusive easement by auction to allow construction access for a proposed Verizon cell tower; appraised easement value is $4,800 and the easement would sunset if the tower is removed.
Dalton City Council on Monday approved Resolution 2502-02 to offer by public auction a temporary, nonexclusive driveway easement across city-owned land to allow access for a proposed Verizon cell tower site adjacent to a privately leased parcel.
City attorney and staff described the easement request during the meeting as intended to allow the McDonald Family Trust's leased parcel to use the first roughly 800 feet of Raisin Way, a driveway that currently serves the Soul Raisin bike park and the city's inert landfill area. "This resolution ... authorizes the public auction of an easement area on Raisin Way to facilitate construction of a new cell tower on adjacent privately owned property," a staff presenter said.
Staff said the easement would be approximately 30 feet wide by about 800 feet long (roughly 24,000 square feet). Per Georgia law, the city had an appraisal performed that placed the easement value at $4,800; the resolution sets the minimum bid at that appraised value. The easement was described as temporary and nonexclusive: it would "run as long as the tower is in operation" and would "sunset" if the tower ceased operation, while the city would retain continued access to the drive for the bike park and landfill.
Staff also said Verizon cited local complaints about unreliable cell coverage and noted the nearby Hammond Creek School as a factor in the company's decision to propose the tower. The resolution authorizes the mayor to execute documents necessary to complete the transfer of easement rights following the auction, which the city will hold at City Hall and schedule in line with statutory notice periods.
Council members asked whether gates or other access changes would impede city or emergency access. Public works director Townsend (present in the discussion) said Verizon planned to upgrade the gate at the top of the access and put a gate on its own fenced parcel, but staff said that arrangement would not restrict emergency access to city property.
After discussion, the council moved to approve the resolution and set the auction minimum at $4,800. The motion was approved on a voice vote with the chair calling for "all in favor? Aye."
