The Baldwin City Council will consider two cell tower zoning ordinance amendments during Monday night’s meeting. The two ordinance amendments are the result of an application requesting a special use permit and a variance. The cell tower would be located at the end of Traditions Drive near downtown and the airport.
Vertical Bridge submitted the application for the special use permit and the variance last November. The application is for the construction of a 250-foot cell tower to be located on property zoned R-1. The city’s current zoning ordinance restricts cell towers to be located on property with that zoning designation. It also restricts towers from exceeding a height of 165 feet on property zoned R-1. The two ordinances would amend the city’s current zoning ordinance.
Following procedure
As a matter of procedure, zoning applications require a public hearing and two public readings of the ordinance. Last week, the city council held a public hearing during their work session. No one spoke in favor of the cell tower. However, five people spoke in opposition.
The council will consider the first of the two public readings of the ordinance amendments on Monday night. If the city council votes in opposition to the amendments Monday night, the second reading is not required.
Mattaniah Jahn, an attorney and representative for Vertical Bridge, requested during the public hearing last week that the council approve the first reading of the ordinance amendments on Monday night only as a matter of procedure and have the second reading and final decision on February 26.
The request came so that Vertical Bridge could have representatives attend the February 26 meeting and answer questions related to a “No Hazard” letter submitted by the FAA.
The Baldwin City Council will meet on Monday, February 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the Baldwin Municipal Courtroom at 155 Willingham Avenue in Baldwin.
