Council approves first reading to allow cell towers on city property; Verizon cited as potential tenant
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Summary
Council approved a code amendment on first reading to allow telecommunication towers on city-owned property, opening the door to future lease discussions; a developer's representative and staff said Verizon has identified Riverview Park as a candidate site.
The North Augusta City Council voted unanimously on first reading to amend the development code to permit telecommunication towers and antennas on city property, a procedural change that would let the city enter future lease talks with carriers.
“We are negotiating with Verizon as far as physical locations of where they could potentially end up going,” said a planning staff member during the discussion, noting Verizon’s interest in improving coverage in Hammond Hills and other neighborhoods by locating a tower near Riverview Park’s activity center. The ordinance (2026-67) changes Table 5.1 of the development code to allow towers on municipal property; the actual lease or siting decision would return to the council for approval.
A representative for the tower developer, Steven Sullivan, clarified that the current ordinance language prioritizes public property in site hierarchy and said the proposed code change corrects that restriction ahead of a potential lease. “Your ordinance currently advocates that we utilize your public property first ... So that's what we're looking to correct,” Sullivan said.
Staff emphasized that approving the code change does not automatically place infrastructure in city parks and that future proposals would include technical and federal compliance review. Council members also noted that tower leases can generate modest revenue for the city and that existing towers on public property (including a disguised tower near the old Public Safety Building) show the practice already exists on a limited basis.
The ordinance passed first reading unanimously; council members said the lease terms and potential locations will be the subject of later, separate approvals.