By Larry Felton Johnson

At its meeting on Tuesday, May 6, the Cobb County Planning Commission delayed (held) making a recommendation on a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) request that would allow a 185-foot communications tower to be built on residentially zoned property at the northeast corner of Acworth Due West Road and Jim Owens Road. Several neighbors of the proposed tower raised sharp objections to the request during the hearing.

The case was SLUP-2-2025. You can read the documents for the case by following this link. The property is zoned R-20, single-family residential, and is adjacent to the roundabout on Acworth Due West Road.

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Three commissioners heard the case since the District 2 seat is currently vacant, and District 1 Planning Commissioner Fred Beloin recused himself from this particular case.

The representatives for the applicant, Freebird Communications, stated the tower was needed by Verizon to improve its coverage area.

In a letter to Cobb Community Development Director Jessica Guinn, Greg Spence, the CEO of Fortified Telecom Services, Inc., and a consultant on the project, wrote:

In order to improve coverage and capacity issues due to increased wireless congestion, Verizon
Wireless requires a new cell site in Cobb County, GA. Upon concluding, there are no available suitable structures in the area upon which to co-locate, the only option is to build a new telecommunications tower.

Freebird Communications wishes to construct the new tower to support Verizon Wireless’
coverage objectives. Freebird Communications will also lease antenna space on the structure and
necessary ground space to other wireless providers. T-Mobile has indicated that this tower would fill a gap in their existing coverage as well.

Spence spoke on behalf of the applicant during the Planning Commission hearing.

Opposition to the request

Four residents who live in the immediate area spoke in opposition to the tower.

Their objections included:

Financial impact: They argued that the tower would negatively impact their property values, making it difficult to sell their land and potentially jeopardizing their plans for long-term care.

Visual impact: They expressed concern about the tower’s height and visibility, stating that it would be an eyesore and detract from the aesthetic appeal of their neighborhood.

Health concerns: They voiced worries about the potential health effects of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the tower.

Lack of communication: They criticized the applicant for failing to adequately inform residents about the proposed tower, particularly regarding the initial hearing date and the lack of outreach efforts. They also stated that the signs posted about the hearing were not adequately visible from the roadway.

Alternative site selection: They questioned the applicant’s due diligence in exploring alternative sites for the tower, suggesting that other locations might be more suitable and less disruptive to the community.

Outcome

The commission, at the urging of District 3 Planning Commissioner Deborah Dance, requested that a community meeting be facilitated between the applicant and the community members and that the applicant address questions raised by the community prior to the next Planning Commission meeting.

The residents opposed to the project and the applicant’s representatives said they would be willing to meet.

However, Spence, representing the applicant, requested that the Planning Commission make a recommendation immediately so the case could move on directly to the Cobb County Board of Commissioners.

He stated that holding the recommendation could create an open-ended process of further delays.

The Planning Commission, instead, entertained the motion to hold the case.

In making her motion to hold the case until the next meeting, Dance also requested that the applicant be available to provide additional information regarding the tower’s design and impact on the surrounding area.

The planning commission voted 3-0 to hold the case, SLUP-2-2025, until their next meeting.