SUP16-0013 – Milestone T-Mobile Telecommunications Tower (Chancellor Voting District)

The Planning Commission recommended approval with conditions with a vote of 5-1 on September 20, 2017, adding a condition requiring that the tower be designed to fall away from onsite power lines.

Staff recommends approval of the proposed Special Use Permit.

The applicant requests a special use permit to place a 150-foot tall monopole communication tower with a 6-foot lightning rod (156 feet total height) within a 2,590 sq. ft., fenced equipment area on a 13.46 acre parcel addressed as 11100 Gordon Rd.  The property is located approximately 1,700 feet west and behind the Salem Fields Community Church located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Gordon Road and Salem Fields Boulevard.  Approximately 660 feet further south is the neighborhood of Ni River Village. The property is currently improved with an electrical substation, zoned Rural (RU) and has a Future Land Use designation of Institutional per the Comprehensive Plan.  Tax map parcel 21-A-93A.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 prohibits local jurisdictions from denying communications facilities requests due to radiofrequency radiation concerns.

The "Shot Clock" has been extended to November 29th should the Board desire to continue the case to their next meeting November 28th, 2017. 

The HOA of the neighboring Ni River Landing neighborhood requested that the tower be stealthed.  The applicant modified their plans to stealth the tower by proposing a monopine (fake pine tree) pursuant to their request.  County consultant Atlantic Technology Consulting, Inc, identified a potential safety hazard due to increased likelihood of ground rise electrical discharge if the tower was built as a monopine at the present location due to the proximity of overhead powerlines and the materials of a monopine tower.  Staff concurred with the recommendation of ATC, and requested the treepole be returned to a traditional monopole style tower for safety reasons.  ATC noted that the tower could safely be stealthed as a tree pole if it were 200 feet from power lines.  The only location that the such a distance is possible onsite is to the NW of the existing substation.  The applicant contends that development NW of the substation is prohibited by existing onsite water management, RPA's, conservation easements, and topographic/grade concerns (See attachment: Relocation Narrative). 

The Cable TV and Telecommunication Commission recommended approval with a vote of 4-0 on September 14, 2017.