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Planning commission recommends permit for 279-foot Georgia Power tower after neighbors raise drainage and property concerns
Summary
Glynn County planning commissioners voted 6-0 to recommend approval of a special-use permit for a 279-foot tower at a Georgia Power substation; neighbors raised concerns about flooding, property impacts and prior interactions with Georgia Power during a public hearing.
Glynn County planning commissioners on Thursday recommended approval of a special-use permit for a proposed 279-foot communications tower at a Georgia Power substation on Highway 32.
Senior planner Christopher Carey introduced the application as SUP 25-11135, saying towers over 150 feet require a special-use permit. Agent Jonathan Yates of Hellman & Yates told the commission the structure would support remote control and monitoring of the power grid and provide space for an additional tenant offering broadband services. “So the intent of the proposed tower is to provide additional wireless connection for remote control and monitoring of g dot's power grid, as well as, additional leasing area for, a proposed tenant,” Yates said during his presentation.
Neighbors urged the commission to weigh potential local impacts. Glenda Howe, whose property borders the site, said flooding is her primary concern and questioned whether drainage work would protect adjoining yards. She catalogued past disputes with Georgia Power, saying crews once parked on her property and that a well line was damaged: “I'm 81 years old... I'm against any variance,” Howe said.
Sherry Clark, who told commissioners she has lived in the area for more than 30 years, said she has generally had good interactions with Georgia Power but reported recent problems with debris left in a roadside ditch after storm work and repeated drainage issues near the site.
Commissioners pressed the applicant on technical design, including the tower's certified fall zone and wind design standards. Yates explained the structure's fall-zone design is intended to contain collapse within a certified distance and noted the tower would include a lightning rod and other protections.
After brief discussion, a motion to recommend approval carried 6-0. The planning commission recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Commissioners for final action as required by county procedures.
The public record for the permit includes the applicant's site survey and staff's note that the nearest residential structure is about 345 feet from the proposed base. The application packet also notes an earlier, Department of Defense-owned tower on the parcel is no longer present.
