Commission approves 250-foot Nex-Tech tower with conditions, including road fee and interference check

The Harvey County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved Conditional Use Permit CUP25-09 on Sept. 2, 2025, allowing Nex-Tech Wireless to build a 250-foot self-supporting communications tower at 868 SW 48th. The Planning Commission had recommended approval and outlined conditions addressing tower height, decommissioning/removal, change-of-ownership notice, screening and payment of a road impact fee prior to construction.

Planning Director Karen Rothe told the commission the applicant had provided a site plan, geotechnical report and Federal Aviation Administration clearance. In Planning Commission discussion, Nex-Tech representative Creighton Remus said the tower would not use the same frequencies as the county 911 radio tower and therefore should not interfere. As Rothe noted, the county cannot deny a tower application based on perceived radio-frequency health effects under state law; the county can, however, impose reasonable site and public-safety conditions. The conditional-use approval includes a specific condition that, if the new tower interferes with public-safety communications to/from the Camp Hawk 911 radio tower, the applicant must rectify the interference.

A required road-impact fee will be paid before construction, and the applicant agreed to work with the township to repair any construction-related road damage. The project has an FAA ‘‘no hazard’’ determination and a completed geotechnical report supporting foundation design.

Why this matters: the tower will expand wireless coverage in the area, and the conditions balance telecom infrastructure needs with county road impacts and public-safety protections.

What comes next: Nex-Tech will pay the road-impact fee, satisfy permit conditions and begin construction per FAA/KDOT/ county requirements.