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Commissioners approve conditional rezoning for Gospel Broadcasting tower, add FAA confirmation condition
Summary
The board rezoned 1.57 acres on Hyatt Road to permit Gospel Broadcasting Incorporated to construct an approximately 84.8-foot FM tower for a full-power 5,000-watt noncommercial station at 90.9 MHz, and added an explicit condition that no construction may begin until the applicant provides written FAA confirmation.
The Surry County Board of Commissioners on June 16 approved a conditional rezoning (ZCR 12 67) to allow Gospel Broadcasting Incorporated to construct a communications tower on 1.57 acres at Hyatt Road that will support a full-power 5,000-watt noncommercial FM station at 90.9 MHz.
Development Services Director Adrian Gardner summarized staff findings and said the applicant complied with zoning submittal requirements; he noted that outstanding technical materials typically required for towers (FAA study, FCC documentation, NEPA assessment, and a certificate of insurance) were being provided and that NCDOT had no objections to the site access.
Deputy County Attorney Howard Jones explained that conditional rezonings must incorporate special-use requirements for towers and that most of the tower ordinance's conditions had been placed in the conditional-rezoning agreement. Jones also noted a less-common requirement in this case: the petitioner intends to buy the parcel (rather than lease a small footprint) and therefore the approval includes a condition to subdivide the property after rezoning.
Ricky Catherin, identified as president of Gospel Broadcasting Incorporated, said his organization has operated WYZD in Dobson for more than 20 years and is seeking a permanent full-power FM signal: "we finally have a chance to go full power FM with a 5,000 watt FM station at 90.9 on the FM dial in the noncommercial band," he said. Catherin said an FAA study had been started, typically takes about 45 days, and he expected clearance "any day now." He also told the board the tower would be about "84 80.5 feet tall" including the base and that existing trees would provide buffering.
During final motion and discussion, the board added a written condition explicitly stating that "tower will not be installed before applicant provides county with written confirmation from the FAA." The applicant agreed to initial that condition in the record.
A motion to approve ZCR 12 67 with the listed conditions and the board's statement of consistency passed on voice vote. The county attorney noted that several federal approvals (FAA, FCC) are customary prerequisites and that a failure of those approvals would prevent the tower from proceeding despite county rezoning approval.
