Milton council approves Loblolly antenna permit
Milton Town Council at its Jan. 4 meeting unanimously approved a conditional-use permit for Loblolly LLC to construct a 525-foot antenna tower with a 15-foot gravel access path on a 77-acre parcel the company owns on Sam Lucas Road.
The project will now head to the Milton Planning and Zoning Commission for site-plan review.
While the exact location of the tower on the parcel is still to be determined, Loblolly has indicated it would be in the southeast corner of the property, adjacent to the 5 acres to be used for Tidewater’s new wastewater treatment plant. The tower would be made of steel and anchored with a guy-wire system in three directions.
Loblolly, the property management arm of Draper Holdings, owner of television stations WBOC, WRDE, Fox 21 and Telemundo, plans to use the tower to improve both its broadcast and emergency signals. In addition, Loblolly has offered space on the tower for town communication equipment, a weather camera and up to three cellphone signal antennas.
The property is zoned R-3 residential with a large-parcel development designation. Under that zoning, the tallest antenna that could be erected is 40 feet, hence the need for a conditional-use permit.
The planning and zoning commission recommended approval of the tower permit at its Dec. 30 meeting, saying the application meets the purpose and intent of a conditional use with an appropriate location, and would be desirable for the general convenience and welfare of the town.
The commission set six conditions to its recommendations, all of which were accepted by the town council. The antenna tower must be set back from adjoining structures and property lines; the structure and the guy wires must be enclosed in a 6-foot-tall fence; the site plan will include the location of the fence and all ancillary structures; the antenna must meet Federal Communication Commission and Federal Aviation Administration regulations; no signs can be posted on the tower; and the proposal is subject to site-plan review.
