Saline County Planning Commission Approves 255-Foot Cell Tower West of Salina

The Saline County Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit (CUP 26-02) allowing the construction of a 255-foot self-supporting telecommunications tower on a 158-acre parcel located approximately 1,500 feet west of the intersection of West Farley and South Lightville Roads.

The request was made by Horvath Communications, the tower builder. Jared Fouts, an independent contractor in the wireless business representing the company, appeared before the commission to answer questions. "I've been doing this for quite a while, about 21 years," Fouts said.

According to staff, the tower would sit more than 300 feet from the West Farley Road right-of-way and is located within the airport buffer zone. However, the FAA provided documentation indicating it is a "no hazard" area, including FAA form 7460 showing no adverse impact within the airspace of Salina Regional Airport.

Staff noted that under the federal Telecommunications Act, the commission may not consider factors that would prohibit the provision of personal wireless services, and could only weigh items such as setback, fall zone compliance, and flood plain regulations. Quality of service was described as a technical aspect not subject to consideration under the county's zoning regulations.

Staff received no public comments and no comments from other agencies on the proposal. The commission approved the permit with conditions, including that no building permit be issued until a commercial permit review is completed and that FAA and FCC approvals be submitted to staff prior to building permit approval.