Proposed Ordinance Limits Tower Locations  

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A proposed ordinance for Schuyler, Nebraska, will make it more difficult for companies to build cell towers in the area. Last week, the Schuyler City Council held a public hearing and first reading of the proposed changes. The changes were recommended after the Council approved a permit last year allowing a new tower to be built, which residents didn’t agree with. According to the Schuyler Sun, “The amended ordinance, which the planning commission worked on for several months before sending it to the city council, was drafted as a way to prevent telecommunications towers from impacting residential and commercial growth in the city. Under the proposed rules, a developer must provide third-party documentation that shows a tower won’t conflict with the city’s comprehensive plan and prove efforts were made to collocate equipment on an existing tower or build within 1,000 feet of another telecommunications structure.” The goal of the new ordinance is to find fair and reasonable sites for the community, as towers will be allowed in industrial areas but no longer on agriculturally zoned properties, and they must be at least 1,000 miles from highways. New fees will also accompany these changes: a developer must pay $1,500 to co-locate on an existing tower and $2,500 to build a new structure. The Schuyler Sun explained, “A $7,500 deposit is also required for a new construction to cover city wages and the cost of hiring an outside consultant should the project require additional review. The developer must increase the deposit balance to at least $5,000 should it fall below $2,500 because of ongoing expenses.”

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