Planning commission approves conditional use permit for 215-foot cell tower in Waterways; will require county easement approvals and federal clearances

The Bryan County Planning & Zoning Commission voted to approve a conditional use permit for a 215-foot monopole telecommunications tower in the Waterways development. The approval was made with staff-recommended conditions requiring coordination of utility locations, acquisition of a 30-foot ingress/egress and fiber easement approved by the county before construction permits are issued, and compliance with federal reviews.

Staff described the proposed tower location as Parcel 5 of the Waterways development, adjacent to a county fire station and a county well site. The leased equipment area is 80 by 80 feet and the applicant requested reductions to the ordinance-required setbacks (setbacks are generally required to equal tower height under the county telecommunications ordinance). The applicant proposed specific reduced setbacks: 64 feet 9 inches on the northeast, 121 feet 9 inches on the southwest and 44 feet 9 inches on the northwest. Staff stated the applicant’s structural engineer identified a fall zone with a 40-foot radius and that the proposed reduced setbacks would contain the tower within that fall zone; staff recommended approval with the listed conditions.

Jonathan Yates, speaking for NextTower, said the tower would fill a coverage gap of more than three miles to the nearest existing tower and would improve cellular and emergency communications for the Waterways neighborhood. "We have a perfect location to cover Waterways," Yates said, and noted the applicant’s willingness to co-locate carriers and to coordinate with county emergency communications. The applicant provided documentation of required federal reviews, including submissions to the State Historic Preservation Office and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and noted FAA review and approval.

Yates also said the applicant submitted a petition with 468 signatures from Waterways residents supporting the tower. Commissioners and a number of attendees emphasized public-safety and emergency-communications benefits, including access to 911 and county CodeRED alerts. The staff conditions require county engineering review of ingress/egress and utility easement language and utility-locate approvals before construction permits are issued. The commission closed the hearing and approved the conditional use permit by voice vote; the item will go before the Board of Commissioners for final approval and county staff will need to confirm easement documentation and utility coordination prior to permits.