Stephens BOC Passes Ordinance on Communications Towers
By Charlie Bauder, WNEG Radio, Toccoa
Stephens County Commissioners approve an ordinance to deal with personal wireless service facilities and the towers that often accompany them.
This week, the board approved the ordinance following a second reading and public hearing.
Stephens County Attorney Brian Ranck says this particular ordinance will govern areas such as telecommunications, broadcast, cell, and wireless internet towers.
Ranck says the ordinance also deals with safety requirements, setbacks, where such facilities go, and so on.
Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers says the county’s current tower ordinance did not properly address the technology.
John Smith With Gunby Communications says his business would be affected by this ordinance and he disagrees with many parts of it.
Smith says that the county is applying a standard towards one industry, in this case, wireless internet, that is not applying towards any other industry.
“You can take a pole and put that same pole there, that same structure, under a wireless use, you impose a set of restrictions on it,” said Smith. “But for any other use, that same structure, as a light pole, it is not regulated. Put a bird box on it. It is not regulated. Put a windmill on it. It is not regulated.”
Stephens County Commissioner Debbie Whitlock says while the ordinance is complicated, rules need to be there for protection.
“We have to look that these things are safe,” said Whitlock. “Honestly, I have to say I think it is fair that say if someone puts up a wireless tower in their back yard, maybe they should be able to say that does not look like our neighborhood.”
Following discussion, the county commission voted 3 to 0 to approve the ordinance.
Commission Chair Dennis Bell was absent from the meeting.
Meanwhile, commissioner Stanley London abstained, saying that the county has a lengthy land use ordinance and after reading this personal wireless service facility ordinance, he feels it is too complex.