Planning commission approves 195-foot telecom tower south of Canton

The Lincoln County Planning Commission on May 12 approved a conditional use permit for a 195-foot telecommunications tower on a 40-acre A-1 agricultural parcel roughly 4.75 miles south of Canton.

County planner Toby Brower told commissioners that staff had reviewed the application and found it met the county zoning ordinance and the comprehensive plan, exceeded the ordinance’s 600-foot setback requirement to residential properties, and complied with FAA and FCC standards. "Staff does recommend approval of this application with the five conditions that were listed in the staff report," Brower said.

An applicant representative identified in the record as Woody, a development agent with Consulting, told the commission the site was a build-to-suit location for Verizon Wireless and that the company submitted coverage maps and a statement of need from an RF engineer showing a persistent service gap in and around Canton. Woody said the project includes a roughly 100-by-100-foot lease area, a new gravel access road, and collocation capacity for additional carriers. He added the applicant performed a balloon test and supplied photo simulations of the proposed tower.

No members of the public spoke in opposition or support during the hearing. The commission moved and seconded the motion to approve the conditional use permit; roll-call votes were recorded as "yes" from Commissioners Moser, Sweeter, Boots, Scott and Jungling. The motion carried unanimously.

Next steps: conditional-use approvals for telecommunications facilities often require the applicant to meet the listed conditions in the staff report before building permits are issued; the county also noted decommissioning commitments and required certificates of insurance in the application materials.