Walsh County approves conditional-use permit for 150-foot Verizon monopole

Walsh County commissioners on Nov. 18 approved a conditional-use permit for a 150-foot monopole proposed by Towers LLC to host Verizon Wireless equipment south of the Butler Machinery site on Highway 18.

Woody Grove, representing Towers LLC, told the commission the plan calls for a single-pole design with no guy wires, a 100-by-100-foot lease area and a fenced 50-by-50 equipment pad that will hold cabinets, a backup generator and utilities. Grove said submitted plans show the tower will be about 221 feet from the highway centerline and roughly 29 feet from a nearby dealership, and that the dealership provided a letter saying it was not opposed to the location.

Grove addressed public-safety concerns about radio-frequency emissions by citing federal oversight. “Section 704 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 expressly prohibits local authorities from considering these issues as part of the permitting process,” he said, and offered the commission copies of the act and FCC guidance. He also said the applicant was willing to add aviation lighting voluntarily if the commission wanted that mitigation.

Commission discussion focused on coverage benefits and technology differences; a commissioner noted that newer cellular technologies can improve in-building reception even if coverage footprints change. Planning and zoning recommended approval, and a motion to grant the conditional-use permit carried on a unanimous roll-call vote (Ernie: yes; Paul: yes; Danny: yes; Amy: yes; Chair: yes).

The approval allows Towers LLC to proceed with final permitting steps and site preparation under county zoning conditions. The applicant and county staff did not identify any required local review concerning RF emissions beyond the submitted documentation, citing federal preemption.

The county will file the permit documents with the planning office and proceed with any required site inspections before construction.