Board approves 199‑ft Verizon cell tower to address local coverage gap

The Anderson City Board of Zoning Appeals on July 1 approved a variance from the city’s 180‑foot height limit and granted a special exception to permit a 199‑ft monopole cell tower on a 1.6‑acre industrial parcel east of Cincinnati Avenue.

Planning staff and the applicants said the tower will address a local coverage gap and offload capacity from several nearby sites, improving in‑building service and network capacity. The proposed tower includes a 100‑by‑100‑foot leased base, a wood privacy fence and vegetative buffer; the applicants agreed to allow collocation by other providers. Staff noted an FAA determination of no hazard was in the filing and recommended approval.

Russell Brown, the applicants' attorney, explained the tower’s purpose as a capacity and coverage site for Verizon and said setbacks and engineering show the fall zone is contained on the parent property. In response to board questions, applicants and engineers described the expected maintenance schedule and confirmed the FAA determination on lighting. One remonstrance letter requested enhanced plantings and lighting baffles; staff and the applicant said the submitted landscaping plan addressed those concerns.

The board first approved the variance from the 180‑foot height restriction and then approved the special exception; members directed the planning department to process permits. Supporters argued the tower would improve reliability for residents and emergency callers; opponents had raised visual and lighting concerns, which the applicants addressed in the landscaping and FAA documentation placed in the record.