Planners recommend variance for 300-foot Rattlesnake Bend tower, citing rural coverage gap

The Natrona County Planning and Zoning Commission on Nov. 19 voted to recommend approval of variance VC25-03, which would allow Rocky Mountain Towers to locate a 300-foot lattice communications tower with reduced setbacks near Pathfinder Reservoir along Highway 220.

Shelly Neese, owner of Rocky Mountain Towers, told commissioners her company had been unable to find a fully code-compliant site within a reasonable search area and that the selected parcel owner agreed to host the facility. Neese said Verizon Wireless would be the anchor tenant and that certified ‘‘breakpoint’’ engineering limits the area where a failed tower would fall; she described the design and provided engineering assurances that the tower would meet safety standards.

Staff told the commission the parcel is roughly 41 acres, zoned ranching/agriculture, had no nearby structures and that staff had solicited comments from county fire, road and airport authorities and from YDOT. Staff noted YDOT issued a temporary access permit to accommodate construction activity. John Gustafson of ACS Engineers explained that YDOT evaluates engineering certifications and that there were no outstanding concerns identified in the staff outreach.

Commissioners discussed setback math and emergency-service rationale. Members noted the county’s 2022 zoning resolution allows the Board of County Commissioners to grant a variance where an engineer-certified design demonstrates the reduced setback will not pose a threat to adjacent property owners. After discussion the commission voted to forward a recommendation of approval to the Board of County Commissioners; the item will appear on the BOCC agenda for consideration.

The applicant told the commission the tower would close a significant coverage gap along Highway 220, which the company and independent engineers documented, and said enhanced in-car coverage could improve outcomes for motorists in remote areas.