Franklin County, Missouri’s Planning and Zoning Department wants to be proactive in setting height parameters for new wireless infrastructure before it becomes an issue. County Planning Director Scottie Eagan said although some restrictions are under state law, the county is inputting its own tower height regulations, according to The Missourian.
A maximum of 250 feet would be set aside for commercial towers, previously at 200 feet, and towers in residential areas would be limited to 100 feet (now at 80 feet) and required to be of a camouflaged design. Areas zoned as industrial or commercial, now set at 120 feet, could go as high as 150 feet.
“We are behind the times with our wireless codes,” Eagan said. “I’m requesting to change it because I have talked to telecommunications businesses, people that build (towers), and [with] the size of the antennas now, they’re so big the tower has to be higher to hold them.”
Eagen said he has already been approached for variances for 225 and 230 feet, but has not acted on them yet. Second District Commissioner Dave Hinson told The Missourian they will vote on the height changes within the next two weeks and acknowledged there are many “dead spots” of coverage in the southern regions of the county.
Reader Interactions