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Commission approves Blackmoor 80‑foot tower for Union Wireless, requires monopole and easements
Summary
The BOCC approved CUP 26‑02 to replace an aging 50‑foot tower with an 80‑foot monopole to support equipment swaps under the FCC rip‑and‑replace program; the approval includes a condition that the old tower be removed within one year and that easements be secured before construction.
The Natrona County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve CUP 26‑02 on July 8, authorizing Union Wireless (through SAC Wireless) to replace an existing 50‑foot structure with a new 80‑foot self‑supporting (now monopole) tower at the Blackmoor site, subject to conditions.
Planning staff told commissioners the application complied with conditional‑use requirements, that agency reviewers raised no objections that would prevent approval, and that the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval on the condition that access easements be recorded before construction and the existing 50‑foot tower be removed within one year of the new tower becoming operational.
"This project is as a result of the FCC rip and replace program to swap out Chinese‑made equipment that's deployed in the field," Chris Schlax of SAC Wireless told the commission. "The existing Union tower cannot structurally support the proposed upgrade nor is it suitable for future equipment loading."
Schlax said the applicant agreed to secure required easements before starting construction and to remove the old tower once service is confirmed on the new structure. He also said the applicant changed the visual design from a lattice to a monopole after neighbor concerns.
During deliberations a commissioner moved to approve staff findings and amend the motion to add an explicit monopole requirement and the PNC easement condition; the commission approved the motion by voice vote.
Actions recorded in the meeting packet require that easements be in place prior to construction and that the 50‑foot tower be removed within one year of the new tower's completion. No public speakers opposed or supported the proposal during the hearing.
The approval implements recommendations tied to federal‑level equipment replacement work described by the applicant; planning staff and the applicant will oversee permitting and ensure referenced easement conditions are met before issuance of a building permit.
