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Missoula County discusses draft letter to FCC saying proposed Swan Valley cell tower conflicts with neighborhood plan
Summary
County staff reviewed a draft letter to the Federal Communications Commission saying a proposed Swan Valley cell tower does not align with the Swan Valley neighborhood plan; staff said the county has limited authority over FCC processes and that emergency zoning would not apply because the applicant is vested.
County staff presented and the meeting discussed a draft letter to the Federal Communications Commission raising concerns that a proposed cell tower does not align with the Swan Valley neighborhood plan.
Meeting host (S1) described the correspondence as "just a letter to, like, public comment essentially to the FCC," and noted that the Swan Valley neighborhood plan is not yet adopted but "does address cell towers," adding that the proposed tower "does not align with that plan that the community is very involved in making." The statement frames the letter as a formal expression of neighborhood concerns to the FCC.
Participants questioned the county's authority to block or require removal of a tower. A questioning speaker (S4) asked whether additional county steps were needed and whether emergency zoning could be used. Meeting facilitator (S2) replied the county has a minimal role in the FCC process, that zoning "only goes forward. It can't go backwards," and that emergency zoning would require "some kind of exogenous thing, like a pandemic or a storm" to qualify as an emergency. S2 said that, because the applicant has been corresponding with the FCC and the project is already in process, the applicant would likely be vested and emergency zoning would not be appropriate.
No formal vote to change zoning or to pursue legal action is recorded in the transcript. The discussion closes with facilitators expressing support for the neighborhood plan and regret that the company proposing the tower might not follow it.
