A proposed change to the city’s cell phone tower law has one more hurdle to clear before it takes effect.
Members of the Columbus Planning Commission voted to recommend changing language in the ordinance to allow cellular service providers to apply to erect towers in residential districts. Currently, they can only apply to do so in commercial, agricultural or industrial zones. The recommendation must be approved by the city council, which will take up the matter next week.
Also changing would be distance requirements for towers. Currently, code states that towers must be separated by a minimum of 200 feet or 150 percent of a proposed tower’s height from residential land. Council approval of the commission’s recommendation would mandate towers to be separated from any houses by a minimum of 150 percent of a tower’s height. If a tower were 150 feet high, the distance clear of any structure would have to be a minimum of 225 feet.
An exception allowing towers to be closer than that distance to structures can be obtained by a provider if all residents that would be affected sign a waiver stating that they approve.
In any event, all applications would still have to meet the approval of both the planning commission and the city council if the council approves the changes.
The matter came back before the commission after voting 4-2 last month to allow the request from engineering firm Neel-Schaffer on behalf of C Spire. The commission consists of nine members, meaning five people have to vote the same way for the body to issue a formal recommendation to the council. The matter was sent to the council with no recommendation. The council voted Nov. 4 to send it back to the commission.
On Monday, all seven members present voted unanimously in favor of the request to change the language. They included vice-chair Quinn Brislin, Major Andrews, Chuck Bigelow, William Bluitt, Larry Fuller, Wythe Rhett and Annette Savors. The two absences were chair Kevin Stafford, who works for Neel-Schaffer, and MacArthur Inge.
Inge and Savors voted against the language change last month.
Bluitt said he was in favor of allowing providers to at least apply to put towers in residential zones because the two-board approval process still provides enough safeguards against decisions that would have negative effects on residential zones.
“Any company still is going to have to appear before us on an individual basis,” Bluitt said. “Our recommendations are going to be made to the council. The process is going to work itself out so that the city would be protected as well as the company. It also gives residents a chance to voice their opinion.”
Both Bluitt and city building department director Kenny Wiegel said they had not heard from any residents opposed to allowing providers to apply to put towers in residential zones.
“I called around and found some information to see if there were any comments from the community, but nothing has been made,” Bluitt said. “As this process continues, we will certainly hopefully hear from the community if something is actually going to be built.”
C Spire Media Relations Senior Manager Dave Miller previously told The Dispatch said the company has looked at potential sites where they would apply to build a tower or cell site but declined to name locations until the company’s request was approved by both the commission and the council.
Nathan Gregory covers city and county government for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 29 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.