A special‑exception application to build a 150‑foot cell tower near the Henry‑Spalding line was heard by the Spalding County Planning Commission on Nov. 25. Harmony Towers, representing T‑Mobile, asked to place the monopole at 3430 North McDonough Road to fill gaps in in‑building and vehicle coverage.

Chip Flowers, the applicant representative, said propagation maps show an existing tower about 1.7 miles away would not provide in‑home coverage for the neighborhood and that the proposed tower would ‘‘give you some in‑building coverage’’ for nearby houses and better vehicle coverage along adjacent roads. He described the site choice as compatible with nearby transmission lines and said the proposed monopole is shorter than many rural towers: ‘‘It’s only a 150 foot, so it’s not a big tall tower like you would see 250 foot on normal towers,’’ Flowers said.

A nearby resident who gave an address of 109 Saginaw Court urged the commission to deny the request, citing health concerns, visual impact and possible property‑value losses: ‘‘My concern is medical conditions, the health for the community, the lost of value for the homes due to it being the eyesore … I don't agree with it being put there,’’ the resident said.

Staff recommended denial. Mr. Allen, the planning staff presenter, summarized pros and cons and concluded ‘‘the cons outweigh the pros,’’ citing incomplete due diligence contacting some nearby tower owners, potential interference from transmission‑line electromagnetic fields and the county telecom ordinance’s goal to minimize the total number of towers.

A commissioner moved to deny the special exception, but the motion received no second and therefore failed. The commission closed the item without taking a final vote on approval or denial and will forward the application to the Board of Commissioners for the final decision in the county’s zoning process.

The application record shows competing considerations: the applicant argued the tower would restore local cellular service and public‑safety connectivity; neighbors raised health and aesthetic objections; and staff pointed to ordinance language encouraging a reduced number of new towers. The Board of Commissioners will take up the special exception at its next zoning hearing; the planning commission made no formal recommendation.