To cover the cost of an independent wireless consultant, the Peachtree City Council has established a new fee for reviewing permits for new cellphone towers and antennas.
A new tower application fee will cost $4,500 and applications to put an antenna will cost $2,000 to review. The review of applications to put an antenna on an existing celltower will cost $250.
The new fees were adopted unanimously Thursday night by the city council, along with approval of consulting engineer David Snavely of Plantation, Fla.
According to the contract, Snavely will help the city by:
• Reviewing the need for the proposed tower based on cellular coverage and capacity;
• Identifying alternate suitable locations for the proposed tower or provide justification for the proposed location;
• Conduct and document a site visit including the surrounding area; and
• Providing a written recommendation for the proposed tower that addresses aesthetics, function, alternative designs, alternative locations, coverage and capacity and the impact to the surrounding area.
Snavely has experience working with both prevalent types of cellular systems: CDMA and GSM, and has worked with companies such as AT&T, Cingular and Sprint PCS. He also has conducted “site reviews” for a number of local governments throughout the southeast, according to his resume.
Snavely will charge the city $150 an hour for engineering time, and up to $3,150 for a process that includes review of the cellular company’s submittal package, a site visit, report and testimony.
Per the contract, Snavely’s work will be capped at no more than $30,000 each fiscal year, unless additional expenditures are approved in writing by the city.
