Planning Commission advances cell tower overlay zone proposal

Petersburg's Planning Commission on Tuesday advanced work on a cell tower overlay zone ordinance that would designate specific locations where wireless communication facilities may be built by right. The ordinance aims to give the community more control over tower placement while complying with federal law that prohibits outright bans.

The commission identified multiple potential tower sites during a work session. Sites include borough-owned land near the Baylor facility, Forest Service property above Scow Bay, and state land along Three Lakes Loop Road. The overlay would allow towers up to 200 feet tall with a setback of 110 percent of the tower height from property lines. Taller towers would require conditional use permits.

Commissioners said the overlay is needed because the Telecommunications Act does not permit municipalities to ban towers entirely. The community wants input on where towers are located.

"It's because of the community desire to choose and recommend certain sites to wireless communication companies, so as to limit surprise and have some sort of public input in the locations," Planning Commissioner Glorianne Wollen said.

The overlay would make it easier for wireless companies to identify suitable sites, commissioners said. Companies could review the map and select locations the borough has designated for towers, choosing sites that meet their technical needs while providing setbacks from residential areas.

The commission discussed including a strip along the back of industrial lots above Scow Bay, the south half of the lot where the Baylor facility sits, and a portion of borough-owned land behind the water treatment plant. Commissioners also identified Forest Service land near Raven's Roost and state land near the Three Lakes Loop Road mill as potential sites.

Some sites near the airport may be constrained by Federal Aviation Administration setback requirements. Commissioners said those requirements would need to be verified before finalizing the overlay boundaries.

The overlay would allow towers by right if they meet setback and height standards. Towers exceeding 200 feet or other standards would require a conditional use permit. The setback requirement would be 110 percent of the tower height from property lines.

The commission discussed including private properties in the overlay only if owners express interest. The public notice process will allow property owners to state whether they support or oppose inclusion in the overlay designation.

"The good thing about the notice process is that anything we're including in the overlay, we have to notice private persons. And so they would get a chance to say, like, no, I don't want this in the overlay, or I very much do want this in the overlay," one commissioner said.