Planning Board approves special‑use permit for 300‑foot wireless tower with easement protections

The Rockingham County Planning Board on Feb. 9 approved a special‑use permit for a new wireless telecommunications tower at 413 N.C. Highway 87, saying the project will improve coverage along the highway while adding conditions to protect adjacent property access.

Planning staff introduced the application as a special‑use request in the RA district and said the packet includes propagation maps that show coverage improvement for the area. Staff advised the board that foundation and geotechnical documents are typically reviewed by a third‑party engineer, Kimley‑Horn, and that the applicant requested to submit those technical drawings after the zoning approval. The board made approval conditional on those technical documents being reviewed and accepted through the normal third‑party process.

Clark Davidson, speaking for the applicant, said the tower will be sited well off N.C. Highway 87, screened behind existing vegetation, and sited to meet fall‑zone setbacks. He told the board the applicant had selected a central location on the parcel "to keep it away from the adjacent parcels" and that colocation space will be provided on the structure.

An adjacent property owner, Freeman Mark, raised concerns about historic access to his 15‑acre tract and said he did not want to be landlocked. The board and staff agreed to include a condition protecting the existing prescriptive easement; staff said appropriate language will be drafted and added to the board order for final approval.

Michael Berkowitz, a certified general appraiser, testified that his market analysis found comparable sales near cell towers and concluded that "the tower as designed will not substantially enter the value of adjacent or abutting properties." The board also heard a neighbor ask about potential health or forestry impacts; staff responded that, under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, health concerns are not a permissible basis to deny a tower application.

After discussion, a member moved to approve the special‑use permit with the conditions agreed during the hearing — including preservation of the prescriptive easement and submission of the foundation and geotechnical reports for third‑party review — and the motion carried. The board approved the permit and staff will draft the formal board order reflecting the agreed conditions for finalization.

The developer must complete the technical reviews and any required permitting before construction. The board’s approval is for the special‑use permit only; any building permits, foundation approvals, or additional site permits remain subject to standard permitting procedures.