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Councilwoman Long urges county ordinance to regulate placement of cell towers; committee forwards proposal to council
Summary
Councilwoman Long told the Roads, Infrastructure and Public Works Committee that a wireless communications ordinance would protect environmentally sensitive districts, public health and property values; the committee voted 4-0 to forward the proposed ordinance to full county council.
Councilwoman Long urged Greenville County's Roads, Infrastructure and Public Works Committee on June 16 to adopt a county ordinance regulating the siting of wireless communication facilities, including small wireless antennas and cell towers.
Long told the committee she compiled language from several ordinances and worked with county legal staff to draft a proposal she said would protect environmentally sensitive districts, safeguard public health and safety, preserve historic zones and ensure residents are notified about pending applications. "It protects our environmentally sensitive district areas," Long said. "It protects our property values. And it ensures that residents are notified about pending and approved wireless antenna applications."
Long described local constituent complaints about tower placements and recounted a case she said led to a $60,000 reduction in an asking price after a tower appeared near a home. She also cited a campus study she referenced as showing sidewalk-level antennas can produce strong radiation at pedestrian level; she presented the research to illustrate health and siting concerns.
Committee members expressed support for considering the ordinance and noted public-safety concerns tied to radio-frequency energy. The committee moved to forward the ordinance to full council; the motion carried 4-0.
The ordinance will be reviewed at full county council where hearings and further debate will be scheduled.
