Council adopts ordinance to allow transmission towers in community-commercial zoning with conditions

On second reading the council adopted Ordinance 15-2026 to amend the land-development code to allow transmission towers as a conditional use in the Community Commercial (CC) zoning district, subject to conditions intended to reduce neighborhood impacts.

Planning staff described that the privately initiated change would expand where transmission towers may be sited from industrial zoning into the CC district with added standards: towers must be at least 1 mile from the nearest transmission tower, must be located a minimum 400 feet from a residential building, and enclosures must be screened with an opaque solid fence and evergreen vegetation that reaches a minimum of 8 feet within one year of planting.

Applicant counsel Mary Solick said the change addresses a local coverage gap and would impose no city cost: "I'm very delighted to be bringing forth an infrastructure solution to you that doesn't cost you any money," she told council. Some public commenters raised health and visual-impact concerns. One public commenter warned the "effects of EMF... are not fully studied" and urged caution about siting towers near homes.

Council members said compatibility standards and the conditional-use review process would allow case-by-case evaluation. Following a motion and second, the council adopted the ordinance.

Effect: Properties with community-commercial zoning may now apply for conditional-use approval for transmission towers if they meet the ordinance's additional standards; each application will still require hearing and compatibility review at the time of project submittal.