County supervisors to discuss cell towers

Published 12:00 am Monday, January 15, 2001

Just days after the City of Natchez extended its moratorium on antenna towers, the Adams County Board of Supervisors will discuss a proposed ordinance to regulate tower construction.

&uot;There should be some ordinances in place to protect the residents of Adams-County,&uot;&160;said Supervisor Lynwood Easterling.

The supervisors are holding a public meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday to get public input on the ordinance.

Email newsletter signup

Like the City of Natchez, Adams County currently has a moratorium on tower construction.

Supervisors approved the moratorium in July pending the passage of an ordinance to regulate such things as the location, height and design of antenna towers.

The issue literally hits close to home for Easterling.

Prior to the county’s imposing a moratorium, a company constructed a tower in his neighborhood.

Now, one of his neighbors worries the tower would strike his residence if it ever fell over, Easterling said.

&uot;(The towers) need to be as user-friendly to the community and the environment as we can make it,&uot; Easterling said.

Supervisor Darryl Grennell also said he thinks Adams County needs to regulate the towers.

Grennell said his biggest concern is what will happen if a company utilizing a tower ever decides they no longer need it.

&uot;When they vacate a tower, I just want to make sure they take it down,&uot; he said.

The supervisors first placed Adams County under the moratorium after receiving a number of calls from businesses wanting to construct such towers.

&uot;I know (the towers) have to deal with money for some people,&uot; said Supervisor Thomas &uot;Boo&uot; Campbell, adding that he needed to give the ordinance further study.

The City of Natchez imposed a moratorium on cell tower construction in November 2000 pending research to update a tower ordinance it has had in place since 1998.

This week the aldermen voted to extend the moratorium to the end of February.