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Coweta County approves special‑use permit for 150‑foot monopine communications tower in Newnan
Summary
The board approved a special‑use permit permitting a 145‑foot monopine (150' with lightning rod) telecommunications tower at 1071 Boone Road in Newnan with multiple conditions related to camouflage, setbacks, access and inspections; vote was 4‑0.
The Coweta County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a special‑use permit for a proposed telecommunications facility at 1071 Boone Road in Newnan.
Zoning manager Alicia Eschman described the proposal as a 145‑foot monopine tower with a 5‑foot lightning rod (150 feet total), mounted on a 0.23‑acre compound on a 15.5‑acre parcel in the county’s rural conservation character area. Staff presented a set of 14 conditions recommended for approval, including a finished height limit, a well‑limbed monopine design subject to community‑development review, limits on berms to prevent artificial height increases, required culvert design and access road standards, tree preservation within a 130‑foot radius of the tower center, a 25‑foot planted perimeter buffer, 8‑foot chain‑link fencing with 80% opaque screening, geotechnical and structural inspections, and a requirement that the facility provide service within 18 months unless extended by staff.
Naomi Migoya of Baker Donaldson, representing TowerCo, told the board the applicant had complied with ordinance requirements, and answered commissioners’ questions about coverage maps and whether the tower would extend service to the nearby state park. The applicant said vehicle coverage would be reliable in the yellow areas of the propagation map but that coverage inside some structures could be limited.
County counsel noted a statutory limit on local authority in federal law governing telecommunications facilities and stated that health concerns alone are not a lawful basis to deny a tower permitted under the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
After hearing the presentation and a question period, a commissioner moved to approve the petition with staff‑recommended conditions; the motion carried by voice vote (recorded as 4‑0). The board did not attach additional conditions beyond staff’s recommendation.
What’s next: The permit is approved subject to the conditions specified by staff; further building permits and inspections are required before activation.
