Planning and Zoning Commission recommends rezoning 108 West Park Street to allow wireless tower amid neighborhood health and school concerns

The Brandon Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend the rezoning of 108 West Park Street to general business to allow construction of a wireless telecommunications tower, following a presentation from Elevated Towers and several hours of public comment. The recommendation will go to city council for a first-reading public hearing Monday.

Craig Snyder, a representative of Elevated Towers, told the commission the Alliance-owned parcel just west of Park and Sioux is the best available site to improve south-side cellular coverage. "We think this is probably the best site, to cover cell coverage in the South Side of town," Snyder said, describing multiple alternate sites rejected for zoning, landowner unwillingness or historic-preservation limits.

Elevated Towers acknowledged residents' health concerns and said federal limits apply. "We have agreed to commission an independent third party RF study to evaluate the proposed tower emissions," Snyder said, adding the study would follow FCC guidelines and that the company is confident the site will measure well below federal limits. Shelly Eichens of Elevated Towers said the consultant, from Owl Engineering, will attend the Monday meeting and the study should be available relatively quickly.

Several residents urged the commission to seek an alternate site because of the parcel's proximity to homes and two schools. "I'm not opposed to a cell phone tower being added to our city. I'm concerned only with the location that is being pursued," said Megan Penning, who said she gathered more than 150 petition signatures asking the company to relocate the proposed tower. Penning noted the parcel is a small lot zoned NRC and said parents and school staff deserve to know the city has pursued every possible location.

Erin Taggart, another resident, raised questions about whether FCC exposure limits reflect modern science, noting a 2021 federal court ruling that directed the FCC to review its guidelines. "The federal safety standards that cities rely on for this, the FCC, were established in 1996," Taggart said, and she urged a precautionary approach and placement farther from schools.

Commissioners and staff clarified the process: if the commission's recommendation is forwarded, city council will hold a first reading Oct. 20, with a likely second reading Nov. 3; the ordinance would be published Nov. 12 and take effect Dec. 3, after which a conditional-use permit for the tower would be required before construction. The commission recorded a roll-call vote recommending the rezoning; commissioners recorded as voting "Aye" were Megan, Brooks, Rob, Alyssa and Mike.

The company stressed legal limits on local consideration of RF emissions under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and said the conditional-use review later in the process would address technical and siting details. The commission's recommendation sends the matter to city council, where further public comment and the conditional-use review will follow.