Richmond County Planning Board is trying to balance the need to protect the public and also accommodate business needs in providing transmissions from communications towers.

Van Billingsley of Electronics Services, Hamlet; Sherrell Jackson of WJSG Rockingham and Howard McLaurin Jr. of WKDX, Hamlet, were present at a board meeting Monday night for a discussion of the proposed amendments to Chapter 32: Richmond County Tower Ordinance.

The amendment proposals are the result of a request several months ago for a conditional use permit by Billingsley to increase the height of a transmission tower on Zion Church Road.

Rezoning

The planning board continued a request to rezone a portion of property between U.S. 1 and N.C. 177 North southwest of Rockingham Speedway track from Rural Residential to Highway Commercial.

The request was made by David Kumm.

The zoning would be to change property to the same zoning as that of the Speedway and Rockingham Dragway.

Officers

Harvey Melton was re-elected chairman of the Richmond County Planning and Zoning Board of Adjustment Monday night.

Greg Norton was elected vice chairman. Fred Morris was elected second vice chairman.

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Conditional use permits

Monday night the Richmond County Zoning Board of Adjustment met and approved three conditional use permits. They are:

n Electronic Services was granted a permit to construct an Internet transmission tower on Zion Church Road, Rockingham, on the conditions that property involved be consolidated into one piece of property and that it can be determined that the fall area for the tower would be within property boundaries.

n Pam Easterling was granted a permit to operate an Instructional and Recreational Facility on behalf of the Sandhills Alternative Academy north of Hamlet.

n Joseph E. Seago of Aberdeen was granted a permit to construct a billboard on U.S. 1 north of Stroman Road, Marston.

A conditional use permit request from Joseph C. Everett for a billboard on U.S. 220 north near Harrington Road was continued on his request.

Mark Tyson asked for a permit to operate a hunting outfitters business on Clayton Carriker Road, Ellerbe. Since he was not present at the meeting, the request was continued.

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Tower discussion

Billingsley has been engaged with the planning board concerning its desire to upgrade the tower ordinance to meet future needs.

He has been involved for some 35 years in the construction of transmission towers.

At question has been a “fall zone” for such towers to protect property beneath them.

What applies to large free-standing cellular communications towers may not apply to taller but thinner towers held in place with guy-wires.

The present ordinance says space has to be reserved around towers one and one half the height of a tower should it fall.

Billingsley contends that a tower held with guy-wires folds into a smaller area should it collapse. The planning board asked him to provide some engineering reports on that.

From his experience and what he has seen, he said they collapse in the smaller area, but few have ever fallen. He has cited case after case of where the guy-wire restrained towers, such as he constructs, are placed beside or on top of buildings.

He said if they were a danger, engineers would not have recommended them.

The Future

Chairman Harvey Melton said the tower ordinance was important and the board did not want to be hasty in making a decision.

Billingsley said wireless Internet customers were increasing in the county and the business was going to become a major player in local communications.

Armstrong said the board should “fine tune” the ordinance to reduce any issues it might create.

He said in creating public policy with the ordinance, the board needed to balance the needs of the public with those of business.

He said the board had to be sure that what it creates concerning towers does not have the potential to devalue property around it.

Billingsley said he would like to see included in an ordinance requirements for periodic inspections — like every five years — of towers. He said his company employees inspect towers they climb and would not climb an unsafe one.

Board member Fred Morris said perhaps a “maintenance log” should be kept on each tower. Billingsley agreed. “Safety is our number one priority,” he said of his operations.

n Contact reporter Tom MacCallum at 997-3111, ext. 15; e-mail tmaccallum@yourdailyjournal.com.