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Morrow council considers 90-day moratorium on new cell towers and small cell wireless facilities
Summary
At a work session, the Morrow Mayor and City Council conducted a first reading of an ordinance to impose a 90-day moratorium on accepting or approving new cell towers and small cell wireless facilities so staff can study siting, aesthetics, and regulatory authority.
Mayor John J. Lampl II reopened the work-session agenda at 6:40 p.m. to hold a public hearing on a proposed temporary moratorium on new cell towers and small cell wireless facilities inside city limits. The moratorium, authorized by Section 1701 of Morrow’s Zoning Code, would pause acceptance, processing and approval of new applications for 90 days so staff and council can review how to regulate emerging small-cell technologies.
City Manager Jeff Baker told councilors the pause would allow the city to better understand what it can regulate, to require radio-frequency engineering studies where appropriate, and to avoid visual blight. Baker said the city was concerned about a recent application that was not forthcoming with details and described it as more of a "repeater" situation, and he noted applicants had proposed installing their own wooden pole with attached equipment instead of using existing infrastructure such as light poles.
Council members sought clarification about small-cell appearance and whether applications would be required to show why they needed new poles instead of attaching to existing fixtures. The council conducted a first reading of Ordinance 2025-06, which Senate staff scheduled for a second reading and possible adoption on Sept. 9, 2025.
Why this matters: small cell deployments raise questions about municipal control over rights-of-way, visual impacts, and whether federal or state rules limit local standards. The moratorium is intended to give the city time to study technical, legal and aesthetic issues before new applications are accepted.
What’s next: Ordinance 2025-06 had a first reading at the Aug. 26 work session and is scheduled for a second reading and possible adoption on Sept. 9, 2025.
