After months of discussions with the Richmond County Planning and Zoning Board of Adjustment, Van Billingsley of Electronic Services Company of Hamlet was granted a variance for a communications tower by Richmond County Board of Commissioners.

A condition of the variance is that the property owner will have to combine the two properties involved into one to conform with regulations on a safe fall zone for the tower.

The variance was reached after several meetings of the planning and adjustment boards in which several ways of compliance were explored.

Billingsley is seeking to increase the height of the tower on Zion Church Road from 100 to 199 feet. Originally, Billingsley wanted to increase the height of the tower now in place.

When problems arose with the fall zone, he agreed to move and reconstruct the higher tower elsewhere on the owner’s two adjoining parcels of land so no other surrounding property would be involved.

The new tower will enable Ellerbe Telephone Company to expand wireless Internet in rural areas.