New Amendment Might Slow Tower Growth

The Liberty Township Trustees in Ohio voted last Tuesday on a text amendment that will modify standards for new telecommunications towers, and could slow tower growth in the area. The Trustees re-designed agricultural property as a new zoning classification—residential agricultural. They also approved a map amendment establishing a new residential/agricultural zoning for any agricultural parcel located next to a residential property. That zoning now applies to nearly 450 properties previously designated for agricultural use. The Journal News Reported, “[Resident] Tom Farrell said once a property owner puts a cell tower on agricultural land, that piece of land is no longer being used for agricultural, and therefore should be held to the same standards that any business in the township does, which would include buffering, landscaping, lighting and more.” An influx of tower proposals in the area spurred the decision to revamp the ordinance. “We are not asking anyone to give up anything, just asking for the cell phone companies to buffer and complete due diligence,” Farrell said. “And we are identifying any agricultural that abuts residential, as agricultural that abuts residential.” The ordinance also stipulates that a tower allow for other providers to co-locate, and they “be a good neighbor.” That last part usually means disguising the tower as a windmill, clock tower, bell steeple, light pole, or something similar. There are a lot of things that make Liberty unique, but one of the things in my opinion is our ability to coexist with agricultural, business, retail and residential,” Farrell told the Journal-News. “I believe this rezoning decision is another situation in which everyone came together to collaborate and come up with an option that allows us to continue to coexist.”