Planning and Zoning Commission approves conditional use permit for 350-foot telecom tower on Landis property

The Saline County Planning and Zoning Commission on Aug. 26 approved CUP 25-08, a conditional use permit allowing construction of a 350-foot self-supporting telecommunications tower on an 8.88-acre parcel owned by Rick and Brenda Landis in Section 3, Township 14 Range 5.

The permit was requested by Next Tech Wireless to improve wireless coverage in the area. Tim, planning staff, told commissioners the property is “zoned agricultural and within the rural development area” and that the proposed tower site would be a leased 100-foot-by-100-foot area that meets fall-zone requirements. Tim said staff received general questions about the tower location but no formal public comments.

Staff recommended approval with conditions requiring that a building permit not be issued until a commercial-permit review is completed and that all final Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Communications Commission approvals be submitted to staff before a building permit is granted. A commissioner moved to approve the CUP with those conditions; the motion was seconded and carried on a voice vote.

An applicant representative said the new site will link with existing facilities and extend coverage south toward an existing tower in Ellsworth County. The representative said an existing lease near a private residence expires Dec. 31, 2025, which is a reason the company is seeking the new site now. The representative described the proposed tower as omnidirectional and said coverage maps supplied to staff show improved coverage including along the interstate.

Commissioners and staff clarified an earlier discrepancy in meeting materials: the application initially listed 250 feet on one document but the proposed and discussed height is 350 feet; staff confirmed the 350-foot figure as correct. Commissioners discussed required setbacks and noted the tower is not located within an airport buffer zone.

The commission’s review followed the limitations set by local zoning regulations and federal law: Tim reminded the commission that, per the county’s zoning code, the panel may consider setbacks, fall-zone compliance and floodplain compliance but not the technical quality-of-service aspects, and that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 limits local actions that would have the effect of prohibiting personal wireless services.

The permit approval is conditioned on completion of the county’s commercial-permit review and submission of the FAA and FCC final approvals; no construction may begin without those items on file with county staff. The applicant indicated standard site security and environmental clearances will be completed during the permitting process.

The commission’s decision was recorded as a motion to approve CUP 25-08 with staff recommendations; the motion carried on a voice vote. No individual roll-call votes were recorded in the meeting minutes.

Next steps: the applicant must complete commercial-permit review steps and provide final FAA and FCC documentation to county staff before obtaining a building permit.