Denis O'Hayer's Report
Our demand for wireless communications service keeps growing, as we use more smartphones, tablet computers and broadband service. But not too many people want cellular towers in their backyards or neighborhoods.
Now, a state House committee has approved a bill, supported by the industry, which limits how long local governments can take to approve cell tower construction applications.
HB 176 says, if a local government does not vote “yes” or “no” within 150 days, the cell tower application will be automatically approved. The bill also limits some of the conditions local governments can attach to the projects.
Boyd Austin is the mayor of Dallas, Georgia. He told WABE the bill violates the principle of local control of zoning issues:
“We believe that it would just completely take away all of our local authority, and would take away our citizens’ voices in the placement of those towers.”
But the bill’s sponsor, Marietta Republican Representative Don Parsons, argued a state that’s trying to grow its economy needs some guarantee that local governments won’t simply stall on cell towers:
“Right now, they can set on an application for whatever time, and it’s slowing down the whole process. There needs to be some kind of time period. If you haven’t made a decision by that time, the demand is still there.”
Parsons chairs the House Energy Committee, which approved the bill Wednesday. It now goes to the Rules Committee, which will schedule a vote in the full House.
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