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Planning Commission backs rezoning and setback variance for 150-foot telecommunications tower on Fury's Ferry Road
Summary
The commission recommended rezoning a parcel on Fury's Ferry Road to allow a 150-foot telecommunications tower and approved a variance to reduce tower setbacks after staff presented coverage maps and an engineer's fall-radius analysis; neighbors cited both service needs and safety/privacy concerns.
The Columbia County Planning Commission recommended approval of a rezoning and a companion variance that would allow a proposed 150-foot telecommunications tower at 1238 Fury's Ferry Road to be sited where current setbacks fall short of code.
Staff described propagation maps showing mid-band coverage gains to the north and photo simulations intended to limit perceived visual impact; the parcel is owned by a church and is largely wooded, staff said. The representative for Next Edge Networks, speaking on behalf of tower owner Skyway Towers, said the site is a build-to-suit for T-Mobile and that the monopole is designed to host multiple carriers.
Residents who testified supported the project for improved service and public-safety reasons. Barry Paschal, who lives on Jasmine Trail in Magnolia Ridge, said his neighborhood has relied on signal boosters and that poor cell service can be a safety issue for aging residents who no longer have landlines. Mark Herbert, CFO of Riverview Church, also voiced support.
Opponents and audience members asked technical and safety questions: whether there is a coverage 'dead zone' directly under antennas, and what the tower's collapse or fall radius would be in a catastrophic wind event. Staff said tower setbacks are normally equal to tower height under county code and that this application included an engineer's "fall letter" indicating the tower is designed to fold and fall within a roughly 49-foot radius into the lease area. That engineering explanation was offered to mitigate safety concerns about off-site impacts.
A commissioner moved to recommend approval of file RZ24-096 (rezoning from R1 to S1 for the tower site); the motion carried by voice vote. Separately, a motion to recommend approval of variance ILVA 20498 to reduce required tower setbacks also carried after the staff explanation and applicant testimony.
Next steps: both the rezoning and the variance recommendations will be forwarded to the Columbia County Board of Commissioners for final action; proponents noted carrier coordination and required GDOT approvals for driveway access to Fury's Ferry Road.
