Cobb County Tower Proposal Moves Forward Without Planning Commission Endorsement

After ongoing debate between residents and developers, the Cobb County Planning Commission has chosen to move a controversial West Cobb, GA cell tower proposal forward, without offering a recommendation, according to the Marietta Daily Journal.

In a 4-0 vote on Tuesday, the commission advanced the proposal to the Board of Commissioners for consideration at its August 19 meeting. Planning Commissioner Fred Beloin abstained due to a conflict of interest, as he owns property within 1,000 feet of the proposed site. 

Free Bird Communications is seeking a special land use permit to construct a 185-foot wireless communication tower, disguised as a pine tree, at 2516 Acworth Due West Road, near the roundabout by Lewis Elementary School. The tower would serve Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) and three additional carriers, according to Greg Spence, CEO of Fortified Telecom Services.

“Verizon has demonstrated a clear and pressing need for this network improvement,” Spence said, emphasizing the tower is essential to relieve capacity from an overburdened nearby site, the Journal reported.

Verizon’s coverage objectives require the tower to be built within 0.3 miles of the intersection, and Spence noted there were no existing structures or viable colocation options within that radius that meet technical needs.

He also mentioned that while a neighboring county-owned property could accommodate the tower, lease negotiations between the county and the developer have stalled.