Rockingham County planning board approves wireless‑tower permit, recommends two rezonings

The Rockingham County Planning Board on Feb. 9 approved a special‑use permit for a new wireless communications tower along North Carolina Highway 87 and recommended two separate rezoning requests to the county commissioners.

During the quasi‑judicial hearing, staff told the board the tower proposal met the Unified Development Ordinance’s criteria for a special‑use permit in the RA district and noted that engineering documents (foundation design and geotechnical report) would be submitted for third‑party review after the board’s initial approval. Clark Davidson, representing the applicant, said the tower was sited away from Highway 87 and adjacent homes, would be screened with landscaping and that propagation maps in the application showed coverage improvements along the highway and nearby residential areas.

Board members and speakers pressed the applicant on safety, spacing and access. A nearby property owner, Freeman Mark, asked for assurance that his long‑standing access would not be cut off; the board agreed to add a condition protecting any prescriptive easement. After discussion, the board voted to approve the special‑use permit with conditions; the chair declared, “The special use permit is approved.”

An independent appraiser, Michael Berkowitz, told the board the tower ‘‘will not substantially enter the value of adjacent or abutting properties’’ based on his market analysis. A neighbor raised concerns about alleged tree and timber damage from towers; staff responded that ‘‘there is no evidence to prove’’ damage beyond vegetation cleared for construction and that health‑related claims are preempted by law governing wireless siting.

On legislative rezoning matters, the board recommended approval of a conditional rezoning for the Eagle Landing subdivision at 330 Gold Hill Road. Staff said the request would reduce side setbacks from 10 feet to 7.5 feet, allow the subdivision to grow from about 312 to roughly 330 lots on about 97.2 acres, and fit the county’s G3 corridor land‑use designation. The board moved and approved the recommendation; the item will proceed to the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners for final action on March 16.

In a separate case, the board recommended rezoning a parcel owned by Steve Goins from residential agricultural to light industrial to legalize an existing shop and a recently added lean‑to. Neighbors objected, citing character and buffering concerns; the board nevertheless voted to recommend approval to the commissioners by a recorded voice vote, 5–1.

What’s next: the two rezoning recommendations will be discussed at the Board of Commissioners’ public meeting on March 16; the special‑use permit for the tower will proceed subject to the conditions the board ordered, including provision and third‑party review of outstanding technical documents and preservation of any prescriptive easement.