Details emerged about a possible cell tower being placed near downtown during the Baldwin City Council meeting Monday night, Jan. 29. It appears that the project has been in the works for quite some time, beginning as early as September 2022.
The land use attorney for Vertical Bridge, Mattaniah Jahn of Florida, explained to the council that the company is requesting a special use permit and a variance to erect a 250-foot lattice-style communications tower on the property for T-Mobile.
Jahn stated that Vertical Bridge had reached out to the city about erecting a cell tower and looked at what parcels would be suited for its placement. She stated that one parcel that was recommended was in the 441 scenic corridor and that parcel had a height restriction of 35 feet. Vertical Bridge looked at the next possible site, which was a city park. That site was too close to another tower and would not provide the coverage that T-Mobile was seeking.
What Vertical Bridge is requesting and why
According to Chief Administrative Officer Emily Woodmaster, the property where the tower would be located is zoned R-1 single-family residential, which does not allow for cell towers. A special use permit would allow the tower to be built at that location.
The second part of the application is for a variance. The variance request is for the tower to be 250 feet in height and would require a setback to match the height.
Woodmaster explained that the property is in a wooded area with the rail line just north, a trailer park to the east, and residential housing to the west and south.
The cell tower is proposed to be built on parcel 093-010C, which is further from the school but closer to the railroad line. The distance from the center of the railroad is 450 feet. The distance from the school is 1,165 feet, and the distance to the airport is 5,026. All distances are approximate.
Closing a cell communications gap
Documents provided by the city of Baldwin state that T-Mobile wishes to erect this tower to close a significant gap in their service area to the public.
Vertical Bridge secured Jahn as their agent of record in April 2023 for this project. The three parcels are owned by Rogelio and Soledad Briceno, and a memorandum of lease was signed in September 2022, but a lease has not been executed with an effective date. The application includes a letter from the Federal Aviation Administration titled “Determination of No Hazard to Air Navigation.” The determination from the FAA became final on October 22, 2023.
Jahn submitted the special use and variance applications to the city on November 16, 2023.
City staff recommended against building the tower
City staff gave their recommendations for the project as it related to conflicts with city operations. The only department that had a possible conflict was with Public Works and the sewer easement on Traditions Drive.
However, the documents reveal that staff recommended to the council that the request be denied because telecommunications towers are not allowed in the R-1 zoning district by special use permit, and any tower type is prohibited by ordinance.
Another reason stated by staff was a variance request for a 250-foot tower exceeding the maximum allowable height in a residential district at 165 feet.
A public hearing on the special use permit and variance requests is set for Tuesday, February 6, at 6:30 p.m. in the Municipal Courtroom at 155 Willingham Avenue in Baldwin.
Jahn stated that she was prepared to give a presentation during the public hearing and would bring other representatives to answer questions that the council may have.
The council is expected to take formal action on the proposal at their regular meeting on Monday, February 12, at the same time and location. Both meetings are open to the public.
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White County Commission approves conditional use permit for cell tower
